(The following message was sent to the community on 10/2/20)
Dear Colleagues,
As a follow-up to my message on Monday, I want to provide an update about the gathering that occurred off-campus last Friday night. Although I cannot share specifics, the students who hosted the party are facing disciplinary action from community standards, the university’s conduct office. It remains unclear how many Salem State students attended this party, however, we continue to urge all those who were at any large gathering to get tested.
I am pleased to let you know that 342 students participated in our campus testing this past Tuesday—our largest number yet. Of the 342 students that were tested as part of our asymptomatic testing process, one commuter student, who appears to not have attended the Becket Street party, tested positive. We are aware that our students encouraged each other to take advantage of this testing—a sure sign that many of our students are serious in helping maintain the health of our community.
As a reminder, our community COVID-19 testing report dashboard is updated every Friday morning. Please review this data and stay informed. Faculty and staff who have frequent close contact with residential students are eligible for on-campus asymptomatic testing on Wednesdays and should schedule an appointment through the CoVerified app. More information about employee testing is available in Polaris.
We are offering testing to asymptomatic resident and commuter students every Tuesday and they can make an appointment through the CoVerified app. Symptomatic resident and commuter students should contact counseling and health services. Commuter students that are only taking remote classes and are showing symptoms could also test off-campus. A list of available testing sites is available. Please take a moment to review the COVID-19 testing page on our site.
Although Viking students have done a great job overall following our COVID-19 policies and procedures, please join student life in reminding them of their community responsibilities.
Thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
Carla Panzella, PhD
Associate Vice President for Student Life, Dean of Students