Early Bird

Latest on Covid-19 and campus operations

COO Larry Sampler discusses new CDC guidance for vaccinated people and vaccination requirements for the fall semester.

By Larry Sampler, chief operating officer

April 29, 2021

Dear Roadrunners,

On Wednesday, the Metropolitan State University of Denver community received significant information related to Covid-19 health and safety protocols and plans for our safe return to campus for the fall semester.

New guidance for fully vaccinated Roadrunners

Per Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance, if you are fully vaccinated you can start doing many things you had stopped doing because of the pandemic. For example, fully vaccinated people can:

• Gather indoors at home with other fully vaccinated people without wearing a mask or staying 6 feet apart;
• Gather or conduct activities outdoors without wearing a mask except in crowded settings and venues.

See the CDC website for more specifics.

Please note that, in general, people are considered fully vaccinated:

• Two weeks after their second dose in a two-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or
• Two weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine

If you don’t meet these requirements, you are NOT fully vaccinated and should keep taking all precautions until you are fully vaccinated.

New guidance for indoor meetings on campus

Additionally, MSU Denver received updated information from the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment regarding indoor meetings. As more Roadrunners become fully vaccinated and return to campus, please follow this guidance to keep yourself and others safe.

Indoor meetings with more than 10 people whose vaccination status is unknown: Noncritical, office-based businesses may allow in-person work for up to 75% of their posted occupancy limit. Masks are required indoors at all times, unless you are by yourself in an office with the door closed.

Indoor meetings with fewer than 10 people, all of whom are fully vaccinated: Noncritical, office-based businesses may allow in-person work for up to 75% of their posted occupancy limit. Masks are required indoors at all times, unless you are by yourself in an office with the door closed.

That said, I want to clarify that although the CDC guidance states that those who are fully vaccinated may gather indoors with other fully vaccinated people without wearing a mask or staying 6 feet apart, DDPHE public-health orders state that indoor meetings on campus, whether members are fully vaccinated or not, may occur in person for up to 75% of a space’s posted occupancy limit. Masks are required indoors at all times, unless you are by yourself in an office with the door closed.   

MSU Denver to require vaccinations for all who will be on campus this fall

On Wednesday, Metropolitan State University of Denver, along with the University of Colorado System, the Colorado State University System, the University of Northern Colorado and Fort Lewis College, issued a statement requiring all students and members of faculty and staff to be immunized for Covid-19 before the fall semester begins. Specific timing and implementation details for MSU Denver are still being crafted, and new information and guidelines will be shared with the community on the Roadrunner Safe Return website as soon as such details are confirmed. We will do our best to ensure that information and FAQs are updated regularly.

As a reminder, vaccination appointments are available for our on-campus vaccination site, and other sites throughout metro Denver (and beyond) are open for appointment-based and walk-up vaccinations as well.

Please continue to watch the Early Bird and your email for more communications about the summer and fall semesters. As always, if you have questions or concerns about our Safe Return to Campus, please reach out through this form or via email at roadrunnersafereturn@msudenver.edu.

Sincerely,

Larry Sampler

Vice president for Administration, Finance and Facilities and chief operating officer