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COVID Restart Plan Aug 2021

Reopening Plan – Fall 2021

Updated 12/7/21

COVID-19 Update: Campus Status and Federal Requirements

The goal of the Emergency Response Team for the past 21 months has been to limit disruption from COVID-19 and its variants while ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our Pillar College community. We continue to rely on testing, temperature checks, contact tracing, and as required quarantine. There is much unknown about this new Omnicron variant. We are monitoring the situation carefully, and our decisions will be based on the best interests of our staff, faculty, and students and on the best science and the data that we have available.

Since the new Omnicron variant has arrived in the States, we encourage you to take precautions to protect yourself and others. As you prepare for Christmas and make travel and social plans, please keep the following guidance in mind:

  1. Limit exposure to large groups.
  2. Take advantage of testing opportunities to protect yourself and others. Free antigen self-test kits are available on all campuses.
  3. Consider getting vaccinated or a booster. Consult your health care provider.
  4. If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, please get tested and stay home. 
  5. If you test positive or are exposed, please follow these instructions for reporting taken from the NJ Department of Health website: https://www.state.nj.us/health/lh/community/

How to report:

Cases should be reported to the local health department where the patient resides. If patient residence is unknown, the report should be made to the local health department where the provider or laboratory is located. Contact information for all local health departments in New Jersey is available at: localhealth.nj.gov. Contact information for local health departments after business hours or on weekends can be found at in the Local Health Department Directory. If you are unsure which local health department should be contacted, use the locator tool at https://www.state.nj.us/health/lh/community/.

If LHD personnel are unavailable, healthcare providers should report the case to the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH), Communicable Disease Service (CDS) at 609-826-5964. If the individual does not live in New Jersey, report the case to the New Jersey Department of Health at: 609-826-5964. In cases of immediately reportable diseases and other emergencies and if the local health department cannot be reached, the New Jersey Department of Health maintains an emergency after hours phone number: 609-392-2020. 

Updated 8/3/2021

COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and Pillar College

Beginning this Fall 2021 semester, Pillar College will resume predominantly in-person classroom experiences with hybrid learning options. In all cases where in-person courses, support services and social activities are hosted on campus, safety protocols will remain in-place. The option to participate remotely provides maximum flexibility to accommodate today’s student for greater access to Christ-centered higher education. In all cases, use of digital technology will remain a vital component of Pillar College’s educational experience. Utilizing this modality in the classroom helps prepare all students for career options in which technology skills are expected in the workplace. All students should assume their courses will be offered in-person on campus unless otherwise instructed by their professor or program director/chair.

Protocols for in-person instruction:

The latest guidance from Governor Murphy and Commissioner Persichilli on July 28th “strongly recommends that both vaccinated and unvaccinated residents wear masks in indoor settings where there is increased risk.”

Accommodations to participate remotely:

For students who desire to participate remotely (online), please complete an accommodation request form via the link below:

Safety and Wellbeing

At Pillar, we have the privilege of learning and working together in the community. As Christ-followers, we have a responsibility to care well for one another’s mental, physical, and spiritual health during a challenging season. All community members—regardless of vaccination status—will be asked to acknowledge and adhere to the following guidelines to ensure that we can continue to study, work, and socialize safely on campus.

Vaccine

Social Distancing

Face Coverings

COVID-19 Testing and Exposure

Antigen tests are an effective tool to help us prevent the spread COVID-19 at the college. As part of our COVID-19 prevention and control program Pillar College will provide, upon request, a self administered Testing Kit. These kits can be used anywhere — at home, in a car, or any other private and convenient location. The test kits provide complete instructions in English and in Spanish for self testing.

Antigen tests are especially useful for screening because they can identify individuals

If an employee or student with no symptoms and no known exposure to COVID-19 receives a positive screening antigen test result, they should stay at home and quarantine while waiting for that result to be confirmed with a laboratory-based test

If the laboratory-based test is positive, the student/employee has been infected with the virus that causes COVID-19. This individual should

All positive antigen test results collected as part of a Pillar College self testing program should be reported to the college. All positive test results will remain confidential.

The CDC on 9/21/2021 wrote: “The specificity of antigen tests is generally as high as most lab conducted tests, which means that false positive test results are unlikely when an antigen test is used according to the manufacturer’s instruction” However false positives are possible and need to be confirmed with a laboratory-based test.

Symptoms

Quarantine

Cleaning and Sanitation

Additional Resources:

Life at Pillar

COVID Restart Plan Aug 2021

Pillar College will have virtual instruction and work remotely from January 3, 2022, and will resume in-person instruction and in-office work on January 18, 2022.

VIRTUAL INSTRUCTION ALERT

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