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Welcome Back from Health Promotion!

A very warm welcome back to each of you reading this email, whether you’re on-campus in a residence hall, off-campus in an apartment, staying at home with family, or whatever your situation may be. As classes begin, those of us within the immediate campus community will encounter increased contact with people outside our pods, making safety more important than ever. Even for those who are staying at home or are able to stick to your pods, here is a quick reminder on how you can help keep yourself and those around you safer.

For those on-campus: Safety is especially important here this fall. The first and foremost priority is to follow our Macalester Community Commitment and each of its points. While each is important to follow, some essential takeaways include:

  • Always wear a face covering that covers both your mouth and nose when indoors and outdoors when 6-foot physical distance cannot be maintained

  • Maintain a 6-foot physical distance from anyone outside your pod

  • Wash your hands regularly and avoid touching your face

  • Respect other members of the Mac community

For those off-campus and/or in a house or apartment with roommates (who may be your parents or family!): When venturing into public spaces, it is important to wear a face covering indoors, as well as outdoors when within 6 feet of someone outside your pod. Washing your hands and avoiding touching your face are also important. If you are living with roommates, have a discussion with them about boundaries around contact outside your house/apartment. 

 

These are important topics to consider with roommates:

  1. Who is our pod? Who is living in our home and should be a part of this discussion? Who else might we come in contact with regularly to consider? 

  2. What are our in-home/shared spaces expectations-- distancing, general personal hygiene, face coverings, shared space cleaning, use of disinfectant, etc.?

  3. What are our agreements about outside of home interactions? Who may we interact with and how? What expectations do we have about precautions for necessary outings (ie. grocery shopping, doctors appointments)? 

  4. How will we keep each other updated/communicate on any contact outside our home? What types of contact do you want to be updated on (outdoor vs indoor/masked+distanced social meetings/contact with anyone feeling ill/contact with anyone who later tests positive etc)?

  5. What is our plan if one of us is sick? If comfortable, are there any medical conditions/_______ we want to disclose to each other now that may put us more at risk (knowing that Covid-19 can affect anyone regardless of “pre-existing conditions”)

  6. What else do we need to discuss? Other things to consider- testing schedule? Daily temperature checks? Using the Campus Clear app? Are any of us working high contact jobs? 

  7. How will we handle conflict/disagreement on these issues? 

  8. How often do we want to revisit these topics? Do we have a plan on how we’ll stay informed on the status of our local area?

For more ideas on how to answer these difficult questions, here is a list of recommendations from the CDC on living in close quarters with others. Everyone will have differing opinions and comfort levels with items such as safety measures, visitors, and the possibility of contracting Covid-19. Exercise continuous and open conversation with those you are living with and be clear on what you are and are not comfortable with.

And as always, keep up to date on community guidelines set forth from the American College Health Association (ACHA), the CDC, and the Minnesota Department of Health for more relevant information on staying safe.

Self-Care Tip

For the last six months, each and every one of us has been exposed to an overwhelming amount of media surrounding COVID-19, which can become exhausting. Give yourself a period of time each day to turn off your devices and the internet; taking time to simply breathe and reflect on the positive things occurring in your life can help offset the stress brought about by an overwhelming amount of unfortunate news around the world. Practice gratitude when you can and do your best to take care of both your mind and body.

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Macalester College · 1600 Grand Ave · Saint Paul, MN 55105-1801 · USA

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