Early Bird

The latest on Covid-19 and campus operations

COO Larry Sampler provides an update on booster and flu shots and quarantine procedures.

By Larry Sampler, chief operating officer

September 30, 2021

Dear Roadrunners,

First off, thank you to all who attended last week’s Fall Welcome Back event, either in person or online. I enjoyed the opportunity to touch base with you all, to share more about our ongoing health and safety efforts and to reiterate that kindness, patience, understanding, communication and transparency are some of our most effective tools in keeping our campus community safe.

Covid-19 booster information

Perhaps the most important news I can share this week is that starting Monday, Covid-19 booster shots and accompanying flu shots will be available on campus for all eligible employees who received both doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine more than six months ago.

Appointments are required for the vaccine booster and must be scheduled in advance online at Healthcenter1.com. The boosters will be administered in the Plaza Building, Room 111, Mondays through Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

You must bring a copy of your vaccine card to your booster-shot appointment. If you do not have a vaccine card and received your vaccine in Colorado, you can access your immunization records through the Colorado Immunization Information System or by using the myColorado™ app.

All eligible MSU Denver and Auraria Campus faculty and staff members, including student employees, are able to receive the Covid-19 booster shots per the occupational-setting requirement. Please visit the booster webpage for more details on Covid-19 booster-shot eligibility.

Flu shots

Due to the limited supply of flu shots received and ongoing Covid-19 vaccine and booster-shot distribution, flu shots will be administered only in tandem with a Covid-19 vaccine or booster. For individuals who want a flu shot without receiving a Covid-19 vaccine or booster shot, and for those who have not yet met the six-month threshold for booster-shot eligibility, flu shots can be obtained at the MSU Denver Wellness Fair on Oct. 29 or at a community pharmacy, grocery-store pharmacy or other provider.

Quarantine adjustment

As you all know, everyone has been working hard to ensure that we have not only a safe return but also a sustainable return. Our challenge throughout the pandemic has been balancing the need to carry out our mission with the imperative to keep people safe. That’s why we consistently monitor our data and follow the latest public-health advice.

After more than a month of weekly testing for unvaccinated individuals and close monitoring of testing data, MSU Denver has found zero cases of Covid-19 community spread on campus. Additionally, the testing positivity rate on campus is less than 1 percent, well below the 3-percent mark for Denver County and the 5-percent benchmark commonly used as a threshold for concern of community transmission.

In reviewing this data in close consultation with the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment, MSU Denver has decided that unvaccinated students who may have had close contact with positive Covid-19 cases will no longer be required to quarantine and may return to classes starting Friday.

All unvaccinated individuals must continue to test weekly, and anyone testing positive for Covid-19 must continue to isolate away from others off-campus under the guidance of a medical professional. We will closely monitor the effects of this shift in quarantine strategy to continue to foster a safe learning environment for faculty and students.

As we continue to balance public health with fulfilling our academic mission, we are confident that this will better support uninterrupted in-person learning for all students while continuing to keep our faculty, students and staff safe.

While the fall semester is in full swing, there are still months to go. Let’s foster our ability to stay together and take care of one another by following required health protocols, including wearing a mask and staying home when you are sick.

Stay tuned for spring

Finally, as spring registration is right around the corner, I understand that many faculty and staff members have questions about health and safety protocols, quarantine procedures, etc., beyond the present. The Senior Leadership Team is working inclusively with other campus leaders to make these important determinations, and we look forward to sharing more information soon.

For any other Covid-19-related questions or concerns not addressed on the Safe Return to Campus website, please contact roadrunnersafereturn@msudenver.edu. Thank you again for your hard work in supporting our safe return to campus.

Sincerely,  

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