As cases of COVID-19 and other illnesses see yet another spike across the state of Connecticut, community members are once again reminded of the need to be vigilant. An email from the Dean of Students Office on Jan. 13 advised all members of the campus community to once again consider wearing masks indoors as COVID-19 transmissions are seeing spikes in counties across Connecticut, as well as to contain the spread of other viruses such as RSV and influenza.

Associate Director of Health, Wellness Education and Prevention Diane Polo, sent out the email in accordance with new data from the Center for Disease Control which has highlighted High community levels of COVID-19 in nearly every county in Connecticut as of the current date, with the only exceptions being Medium community levels in the Hartford and New London counties. The main designation between High and Medium levels is the recommendation to “wear a high-quality mask or respirator.” The CDC’s information is updated weekly on their website.

When asked to give a statement on if the university has plans to further advertise recommendations about COVID-19 and other winter illnesses, Polo said that “[The University of New Haven] will continue to send updates to the University community as necessary to ensure that everyone is informed of illnesses to be aware of and the best ways to protect themselves.”

The University of New Haven is not making any other changes to their COVID policy, including stances on vaccination, CoVerified, testing, isolation housing and University-sponsored travel, and has remained unchanged since Jul. 26 ahead of the Fall 2022 semester. Campus COVID-19 alert level is currently low-risk.

Last Thursday the Dean of Students Office and Health Services could be found in Bartels Hall tabling together to provide information about Health Services, as well as common winter illnesses and how to report them, and gave out goodie bags with wellness items.

If you’re feeling unwell or have had close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, you can make an appointment with Health Services by calling them at 203-932-7079 or emailing them at [email protected].