COVID-19 dominates semester’s final stretch, as cases reach campus and spike elsewhere bringing administration’s response into focus
As the semester draws to a close, COVID-19 has finally threatened to upend what by all accounts has been a mostly successful on-campus experience. This remarkably smooth semester is especially notable given the overwhelmingly negative results among other universities who embarked on similar experiments to preserve an on-campus learning experience for their students.
This success is in no small part due to the comprehensive scope of the College’s nearly ten million dollar emergency response plan, which has continually emphasized the strategic testing, effective tracing, and public health measures intended to reduce the risk of transmission, like compulsory mask wearing and scaled-down gathering with social distancing.
Skepticism abounded in the lead-up to this semester about Colby’s ability to maintain a COVID-19 free community, and the College’s ambitions garnered nationwide attention. Despite the apparent ease with which Colby navigated the early part of the semester, the College’s status has been infused with uncertainty in the final two weeks.
Over the weekend, with only one full week and one three day week remaining, six positive COVID-19 cases emerged. This surge was described in an email by Dean of the College Karlene Burrell-McRae `94 which was released to the student body on Nov. 15.
“On campus, we received six positive test results in the last three days—two students and four staff members,” Burrell-McRae wrote. “Of these, we have not been able to identify the source of infection in four of these cases.”
However, she emphasized how additional data gathered in the upcoming days would guide and inform the College’s next steps as the final week approaches. This decision was accompanied by an abundance of caution; organized group activities after Friday, Nov. 20 were cancelled, and classes in the final week will all revert to a remote format as well to accommodate outgoing students and the COVID-19 situation.
“We want to reiterate the need to focus our attention on maintaining safe practices: testing on schedule, wearing face coverings in public spaces (including the libraries, classrooms, and other spaces across campus), maintaining physical distance, practicing good personal hygiene—including washing your hands for more than 20 seconds each time,” Burrell-McRae said.
Despite Maine being among the states with the lowest prevalence of COVID-19 early on in the pandemic, it now has a rate of 163 cases per day. Maine’s reported number of COVID-19 cases rose 229% between Oct. 28 and Nov. 11; this figure is the largest percentage increase in the number of cases nationwide and indicates pervasive community spread.
As average daily cases in Maine nearly doubled again over the last ten days, the Colby administration’s ability to both maintain and ensure student well-being becomes especially crucial as many students prepare to depart for the Thanksgiving holiday.
“You have shown remarkable commitment and resilience this semester,” Burrell-McRae noted. The Colby administration as a whole has seemed appreciative of the relatively high levels of compliance with COVID-19 restrictions seen from the student body and the low levels of identified cases and transmissions.
“The end of the semester is near—let’s all do everything we can to finish strong,” she said.
“We are thrilled for those who will soon have the opportunity to spend time with your families and recharge before finals. This semester we all talked a lot about taking care of ourselves and one another,” Burrell-McCrae noted. “Right now, one another refers to your families as well, and we trust you will do everything you can to keep those you care about safe and healthy.”
It seems everyone, including the administration, is holding their breath as the final days of semester approach. This period is certain to determine whether the administration’s assurances that “the Hill will hold” will be realized.
~ Aaron Mills `24
