Spring Forward, Finish Strong!

COVID-19 Update: Spring Semester 2022

Dear CLC Students,

As we welcome you to the 2022 spring semester, we’re mindful of the increasing prevalence of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 and wanted to update you on CLC’s plan to ensure an excellent student experience and uphold our Culture of Caring. We will begin the semester as planned, including classes with the originally scheduled delivery method, while enforcing COVID-19 safety protocols based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Minnesota Department of Health, and the Minnesota State system.

We are asking for everyone’s help to ensure that CLC can continue to offer a robust experience for students, including in-person classes and activities, to both keep all members of the CLC community safe and to help our students be successful. We are taking additional measures this semester but need cooperation and assistance from CLC employees and students.

We recognize that this conversation can be difficult in the absence of a state-wide mask mandate, but CLC joins medical facilities, performing arts organizations, and some local schools and businesses by considering face coverings an important part of the safety plan. We have a responsibility to comply with the State of Minnesota/Minnesota State directives on masking, vaccination, and testing.

Additionally, despite our efforts, COVID-19 transmission has occurred on our campuses, and our positive case counts are trending higher than some of our Minnesota State peer institutions. For all of these reasons, it’s critical that we work together to keep everyone safe and students learning.

For Spring semester, we have implemented the following additional precautions:

• Limiting access to the campus through the following staffed doors to assist with mask compliance:
  • Brainerd Door #1, Door #4, and #26 (Door #6 for Wednesday afternoon for testing clinic) Door #25 for Dental Clinic only
  • Staples Door #1, #4
  • Staples West Campus-TBD with February start

• Hiring temporary staff to assist with door monitoring and mask compliance on campus and for events/activities.

• Strongly encourage employees and students, even those that are vaccinated and boosted, to get tested before returning to campus or upon return to campus. Options include visiting WeAre on CLC’s campuses, various community testing sites or home testing options as noted below.
• Safely offering community testing on the Brainerd campus once per week. This is in addition to the CLC-specific hours on our campuses. Community testing is part of our strategy to support the communities, and health care facilities and staff, that we live in.

Academic precautions:

• Partner with faculty to make masking a priority in the classrooms, shops, labs, and common spaces so CLC can continue to offer in-person classes and activities throughout the semester.
• Encourage social distancing, if space allows, in classrooms, shops, and labs.
• Continue the practice of assigned seating charts and having the same lab partners throughout the semester.

For Spring Semester, we will continue to:

• Require masking indoors on campus while Crow Wing, Todd and Wadena counties are in a state of High or Substantial transmission. Encourage everyone to upgrade their masks if needed.
• Require that employees and students not come to campus/class if they are feeling ill or have symptoms of COVID-19.
• Require that employees and student workers who are not fully vaccinated test at least weekly for COVID-19, as long as this requirement continues for State of Minnesota/Minnesota State College and University employees.
• Offer testing opportunities on campus and provide resources to assist employees and students in getting vaccinated or getting a booster shot.
• Encourage employees and students to get vaccinated–and to get a booster shot if vaccinated, as vaccination is one of the best ways to help protect yourself and others from infection and serious illness.
• Recommend that students and employees stay at least 3, and ideally 6 feet apart in common areas and whenever possible.
• Continue to closely monitor case numbers and be ready to pivot to respond to any changes if necessary. Continue to review these assumptions as we progress through spring semester.

Reminder of Contact Tracing/Reporting of Potential Exposure to Covid-19 or Positive Test Results:

If you become aware of a potential Covid-19 exposure, or a positive test result, report this information as follows:

• Students should report their possible exposure or positive results to one of their faculty members.   

Important updates/reminders about COVID-19 vaccination and testing: 

Strongly encourage employees and students, even those that are vaccinated and boosted, to get tested before returning to campus or upon return to campus. Options include visiting WeAre on CLC’s campuses, various community testing sites or home testing options as noted below.

We will continue to partner with WeAre for on-campus testing as follows:

Effective Monday, January 10, 2022:

Monday:        10:00 am – Noon       CLC Brainerd Campus: C103

12:30 – 5:00 pm        WeAre 615 Oak St, Brainerd

Tuesday:        10:00 am-11:30 am  CLC Staples Main Campus

Noon – 12:30 pm       CLC Staples West Campus

12:30 – 5:00 pm        WeAre 615 Oak St, Brainerd

Wednesday:  10:00 am-11:30 am  CLC Brainerd Campus: C103 (Athletic testing)

Noon – 4:00 pm        Community Testing-B&I Center E204 (Door #6)

Thursday:       12:30 – 5:00 pm        WeAre 615 Oak St, Brainerd (testing/vaccination)

For testing in the community, options include ordering a take home test or find a testing site via this link: https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/testsites/community.html

Specifically, MDH recommends the following people get tested for COVID:

• Anyone who has any symptoms.
• Anyone who has had close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19.
• Anyone traveling or returning from travel.
• Anyone who has attended a high-risk event.
• Anyone who is not fully vaccinated and works in close contact with a lot of people.
• Anyone who is not fully vaccinated and participates in in-person childcare, school, extracurricular activities, or sporting activities.
• People with immunocompromising conditions, even if fully vaccinated.
• Anyone who has been asked or referred to get tested by their health care provider or state, tribal, local, or territorial health department.

Campus vaccination clinics:
In addition to testing before returning to campus, consider getting vaccinated or a booster.  Vaccinations and boosters are available through WeAre on Thursdays at their Oak Street location or can be scheduled in advance at the Staples or Brainerd Campus by contacting WeAre. We will continue to partner to make vaccinations, boosters, and testing, at the Staples and Brainerd locations, throughout the semester as needed.

Other vaccination options:
To get vaccinated at other locations, check out this link from MDH: https://www.health.state.mn.us/people/immunize/basics/vaxfinder.html and click on where to get vaccinated.

CLC’s goal is to protect the health and safety of our students, faculty, and staff while supporting our students to realize their educational goals.  With the college community’s collective help of getting vaccinated or a booster shot, staying home if you’re feeling ill, and testing if you meet the MDH testing recommendations, we can provide a safe and regular schedule of classes and activities for our students. 

We will continue to monitor the situation and provide you with updates. Have a great semester, and as always, reach out with questions/concerns: covid19@clcmn.edu