Dear Students, Faculty and Staff Members,

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cases of COVID-19 in Delaware County and the surrounding region continue to decline, as do hospitalization rates. In fact, the average weekly case count in Delaware County has dropped to the lowest it has been since early last summer, and the CDC has moved the county out of the “high transmission” category. The number of cases on campus also continues to fall. Given these positive indicators, we are making the following updates to our COVID-19 policies:

Update to Testing Protocols
Students, faculty, and staff members will move to optional testing the week of March 21; the last week of required testing will be the week of March 14. This will allow us to perform a final round of required testing after spring break.

We will share additional details in the weeks ahead on how you can participate in the optional testing. Please note that some individuals will be required to continue testing, including those who are symptomatic and anyone who has a College-approved exemption from the vaccination requirement. As we’ve said throughout the pandemic, we will continue to monitor the changing circumstances and adjust our policies and protocols accordingly, including returning to required testing if needed. 

While the COVID-19 Planning Group intends to revisit our masking requirements in the near future, all individuals are still required to mask indoors until further notice.

Visitors and Spectators 
The College has restored visitor access to most indoor campus facilities, including by allowing spectators at all athletic events and visitors to the libraries. Appointments are still required for Special Collections access. Please visit the libraries’ website for more information.
 
At this time, access to the Matchbox, Ware Pool, and the Mullan Tennis Center remains restricted to current students, faculty, and staff members only. As a reminder, you must remain masked while using the Matchbox, even while exercising. We will consider expanding access to these facilities in the weeks ahead.

Please be aware that some events that are typically open to the public, such as performances, may have additional COVID-related restrictions.

All visitors, including alumni and parents, must be up to date on their vaccinations or have a negative rapid antigen test result within 24 hours of coming to campus.

• The College considers individuals up to date on their COVID-19 vaccine if they have received both an initial, primary series of vaccinations AND a COVID-19 booster shot as soon as they are eligible.
• Please note that the College continues to require individuals to remain masked while inside campus facilities. Please review our masking policy for additional information.

Vendors
While we continue to require all vendors to be up to date on their vaccinations, as defined above, we will no longer require vendors to fill out a form prior to coming to campus.

Meetings and Guidance on Large Gatherings
We are no longer urging offices and departments to meet virtually, though virtual meetings remain a viable alternative to meeting in person in certain circumstances. However, we continue to discourage lunch meetings or serving food at large indoor gatherings. Safety protocols for indoor and outdoor gatherings vary depending on the size of the event, the nature of the activity, and the space in which it is being held. For specific protocols on large indoor and outdoor gatherings, please refer to our Guidelines for Large Gatherings page.

Students with questions about social gatherings and other student events should contact the Office of Student Engagement.

Thank you for your attention to these changes. If you have additional questions, please visit our COVID-19 Information page or email covid19@swarthmore.edu. 

Sincerely, 

Members of the COVID-19 Planning Group