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  • COVID-19 Response
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Monitoring + Assessing Campus Health

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With a commitment to maintain the health of students, faculty and staff, and our neighbors, the College is implementing monitoring and assessment plans that comply with New York State mandates and recommended best practices. With guidance from New York State, Nuvance Health, and public health organizations, the COVID-19 Response Team has  developed criteria for this monitoring and for adapting the College’s operations in response to the potential spread of COVID-19.

COVID-19 Incident Report  Contact the Cares Team  Campus Data Dashboard

In This Section

  • Data Dashboard
  • What Constitutes Contact Risk
  • Contact Tracing FAQs
  • Surveillance + Surge Testing
  • Factors for Campus Risk Assessment
  • Potential Steps for Changes to Campus Operations

COVID-19 Data Assessment

Current COVID-19 Data

This dataset will be updated weekly. Last update: 
February 26, 2021

  • 4
    Active Cases / Students
  • 1
    Active Cases / Employees
  • 13,887
    Tests Completed (students + employees)
  • <1%
    Percentage of Tests Positive
  • 18
    Total Cases / Students
  • 5
    Total Cases / Employees

About COVID-19 Data Assessment at Bard College

The College will maintain rigorous testing, monitoring, and contact tracing protocols, as outlined on our COVID-19 Response website, throughout the semester. We will post testing results and active cases here on a weekly basis. Any positive test result will initiate mandatory quarantine and contact tracing, and any active cases indicated above are in quarantine.

Definitions

Active Cases / Students
Number of students in isolation with a positive diagnostic result.

Active Cases / Employees
Number of employees in isolation with a positive diagnostic result.

Tests Completed
Number of diagnostic tests administered by Bard.

Percentage of Tests Positive
Percentage of tests returned as positive.

All data based on tests administered by Bard College.

Additional COVID-19 Dashboards

Click here to view the Dutchess County COVID-19 Dashboard.
Click Here to View the New York State Schools Dashboard.

Exposure Warranting Testing, Quarantine, and Contact Tracing Procedures

Any member of the campus community who tests positive for COVID-19 or has been determined to have been in close contact with a suspected or positive case will begin a period of quarantine or isolation. The contact tracing team will immediately begin notifying close contacts who may also have been exposed.

Any student or member of the faculty and staff who tests positive will immediately begin quarantine measures. Students receiving a positive test result will move to dedicated isolation housing or will be provided instructions for self-isolating in their off-campus residence. Employees who test positive will self-isolate at home for two weeks. In all cases, detailed instructions for quarantine and access to college support systems will be provided. While maintaining patient confidentiality, Bard’s contact tracing team, in coordination with the Dutchess County Department of Health, will begin the tracing process.

Bard's Contact Tracing Team will follow up with anyone who tests positive and will reach out to their close contacts. For COVID-19, a close contact is defined as any individual who was within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period, starting from two days before illness onset (or, for asymptomatic patients, two days prior to test returning a positive result) until the time the patient is isolated. Additional factors in assessing the level of exposure include whether or not face masks were used, and whether the contact was indoors or outdoors.

As determined by the Contact Tracing Team, any member of the campus community who has been in close contact with a person diagnosed with COVID-19 within the past 14 days will either self-isolate or quarantine until 14 days have passed since exposure. In many cases, students will be able to self-isolate in their rooms, adhering to Department of Health guidance. In some cases, students may be relocated to other housing. Employees and students who live off campus will self-isolate in their residences.

Read the CDC Contact Tracing Guidelines

Contact Tracing FAQs

  • What is contact tracing?

    What is contact tracing?


    Contact tracing is a tool used to prevent the spread of disease by identifying those who are sick and the people with whom they have come into close contact. Health departments usually do this work, and at Bard we have a volunteer group that is helping to support and accelerate the process.
  • Why do we need contact tracing?

    Why do we need contact tracing?


    Since a person may have COVID-19 and be contagious before exhibiting symptoms, or may not exhibit any symptoms at all, it is important that people who may have been exposed move quickly into quarantine to prevent the spread of the virus.
  • What can I expect from Contact Tracing if I have been diagnosed with COVID-19?

    What can I expect from Contact Tracing if I have been diagnosed with COVID-19?


    If you are diagnosed with COVID-19, a contact tracer will call you to check-in on your health, discuss who you’ve been in contact with, and ask where you spent time while you may have been infectious and able to spread COVID-19 to others.

    It is important to know that we will respect your privacy, and your name will not be revealed to those you may have exposed, even if they ask.

    This call may take 15-30 minutes, perhaps longer or shorter, and it is important that you be truthful and thorough with all information in order to keep you and others on our campus safe and healthy.
  • What can I expect from Contact Tracing if I am a close contact of somebody with COVID-19?

    What can I expect from Contact Tracing if I am a close contact of somebody with COVID-19?


    If you have been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19, a contact tracer might contact you to inform you that you’ve been exposed to COVID-19.

    You should stay at home and self-quarantine for 14 days, starting from the last day you were possibly exposed to COVID-19. This person will help identify the dates of your self-quarantine, and provide you with information on some of the resources we have available to those in quarantine on campus.
  • How is “close contact” defined?

    How is “close contact” defined?


    Per the CDC, a “close contact” for COVID-19 is defined as any individual who was within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of at least 15 minutes over a 24 hour period, starting from 2 days before illness onset (or, for asymptomatic patients, 2 days prior to positive specimen collection) until the time the patient is isolated.
  • What if I was exposed to somebody with COVID-19 but it wasn’t a “close contact”?

    What if I was exposed to somebody with COVID-19 but it wasn’t a “close contact”?


    According to our medical consultants and state public health officials, the risk of transmission is low if you were not a close contact and if you were wearing a mask and practicing physical distancing. You should carefully monitor your health and submit a daily self screening. If you are concerned about potential exposure to COVID, but you do not receive a phone call from a contact tracer, students should contact the Bard Health Service at 845-758-7433. Faculty and staff should contact their primary care physician.
  • How can I learn more about contact tracing?

    How can I learn more about contact tracing?


    If you would like to learn more about Contact Tracing in general, there are a number of online resources on the topic, including on the CDC website.

    If you have questions about Contact Tracing at Bard, please contact David Lindholm at dlindholm@bard.edu or via cell at 845-802-4246.

    If you are ill or having symptoms of COVID-19, or have any medical questions, please contact Health Services at x7433. For emergencies, call 911 immediately.

Surveillance and Surge Testing

The College has developed a detailed plan for randomized surveillance testing throughout the semester and surge testing as needed. This strategy aims to maintain a clear and accurate assessment of the health of the Bard community on an ongoing basis, and to rapidly contain any infections or sources of exposure. 

Following the initial two-stage testing of all students (testing prior to their arrival at Bard, and a second test five to 10 days after arrival), the campus community will be tested at a rate of approximately 400 individuals per week, spread over six days, throughout the semester. This number represents approximately 25 percent of the students studying in Annandale this semester being tested weekly. This surveillance testing will be randomized across representative sections of the Bard community. These Bard-administered tests will be completed through our partnership with MIT’s Broad Institute, which provides us with on-demand testing and a 24-to-48-hour turnaround. 

In the case of a positive result from a Bard-administered test, the College will immediately initiate a surge in testing in coordination with our contact tracing program, testing all close contacts and isolating them while awaiting their test results. Operating together, surge testing and contact tracing will help us to contain any potential outbreak. The College will also coordinate closely with Dutchess County health authorities on required next steps. 

It is extremely important that every member of the Bard community comply with notifications of being selected for random testing. This ongoing testing plays an essential role in maintaining campus safety, and participation is not optional. Failure to appear for testing as required may result in disciplinary action. Please monitor your email carefully for these notifications and other communications about supporting health and safety on campus. We aim to make this testing process as smooth as possible and appreciate your cooperation. 

Below is a flow chart and detailed descriptions of our surveillance and surge testing protocols.

   

  

What to expect if there is a positive result from a Bard-administered test

  1. Immediate mobilization of Bard’s contact tracing team and surge testing team. The person with the positive test result will move immediately into isolation housing. If the person with the positive result resides off campus they are required to self-isolate in their off-campus residence and comply with all directives from the Dutchess County Department of Health. Contact tracing will begin immediately.
  2. Surge testing for all Bard contacts. Tested individuals will shelter in place until test results are reported. Those identified as CDC-defined close contacts (i.e., any individual who was within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period, with considerations for whether or not face masks were worn or if the interactions took place indoors or outdoors) will be subject to a 14-day quarantine period. All non-Bard contacts must adhere to Dutchess County regulations and protocols for testing, contact tracing, and isolation.
  3. Ongoing daily surveillance testing across campus (400 tests per week, spread over six days).
Surveillance testing will continue across campus throughout the semester, whether or not surge testing is also taking place. Additionally, the Bard contact tracing team will be examining daily health self-screenings to determine if additional on-campus testing might be warranted.

Risk Assessment and Possible Response

The COVID-19 Response Team at Bard College is working with our partners at Nuvance Health to develop criteria for possible changes to the College’s operational plans in response to the potential spread of COVID-19.

Factors for Campus Risk Assessment

The Bard College COVID-19 Response Team considers the following factors when assessing and considering adjustments to the College's operational plan during the pandemic:

  • Health on Campus
    We will measure campus health through daily health screenings submitted by Bard students, faculty, and staff; the results of the testing regime we have established through MIT’s Broad Institute, and the work of the Bard contact tracing team.

    CAMPUS RESOURCES
    We will monitor the usage rate of such campus resources as personal protective equipment (PPE), Health Services staff, and dedicated quarantine and isolation space.

    ADHERENCE TO PREVENTION MEASURES
    We will assess how well students, faculty, and staff are following COVID-19 health guidance, including wearing face masks, practicing physical distancing, avoiding large gatherings, and isolating as required.
  • Community Health
    We will evaluate conditions in the region and state through the data maintained by the  State of New York and Dutchess County. Areas of concern would include an upward trend of confirmed cases for a prolonged period, any strain on the local health care infrastructure, or difficulty completing contact tracing protocols on a regional or statewide scale. The State of New York monitors changes in key statistics by region, including new infections, new hospitalizations, hospital capacity, and contact tracing. You can view the current statistics and trends for our Mid-Hudson Region on the State’s COVID-19 Early Warning Monitoring System Dashboard. The State will advise us on any action that must be taken if changes are detected in our region. Bard contributes to local and state understanding of the current health situation by reporting Bard-administered test results to the relevant authorities for aggregating as part of our region’s data. The name of anyone who tests positive on a Bard-administered test will be kept strictly confidential and within health support channels, to ensure compliance with federal privacy law and State health regulations.

Possible Changes to Campus Operations

Weighing the above considerations, and in close consultation with local and state authorities and our medical consultants at Nuvance Health, Bard may be required to institute operational changes. Such changes could range from reducing the number of people allowed in classrooms and laboratories, to restricting dining service to takeout only, to increased restrictions on access to campus facilities, to whatever other action the government might require us to take based on the circumstances. Our plan is sufficiently flexible that we can adjust as needed to ensure the continued safety and health of members of our community. We will carefully and creatively consider, based on government guidance and the best available medical expertise, all possible options for continuing Bard’s educational program without interruption.

Questions?

If you have any questions about Bard's community monitoring, campus risk assessment, or contingency planning, please contact the Response Team at responseteam@bard.edu.

COVID-19 Response: Tools + Resources

  • COVID-19 Concern Report
  • Contact the CARES Team
  • Campus Data Dashboard
  • CARES Act HEERF Grants to Students
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Annandale-on-Hudson, New York 12504-5000
Phone: 800-BARDCOL
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