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COVID-19 Updates: Student Life and Campus Access

February 17, 2021
Submitted By: Office of Marketing and Communication

The following message was shared with students on Feb. 15.

Dear Students,

We have several updates to share about our response to COVID-19, as well as several reasons for optimism. Numbers are still high across the country, but we are happy to report that cases and hospitalizations are decreasing in our local area. Connecticut is making COVID-19 vaccines available to more of the population each week, with additional eligible groups expected to be added in the coming weeks and months. We must keep our guard up and avoid letting “COVID fatigue” jeopardize this progress.

Cases on Campus

The University’s COVID-19 Dashboard is a valuable resource for our community and provides accurate campus data. It is updated weekly, typically on Mondays or Tuesdays, and can be found on the Keeping Hawks Health website. We currently have 18 active cases, with many positives choosing to remain in isolation off campus. This is more than we experienced in the fall semester, but not unexpected given levels in our area and across the country.

Student Life

Health conditions on campus made it possible for us to open the second-floor Sports Center  (please see our website for hours and health guidelines). The fire pit on the residential side of campus is also now available for your use and is a great spot to spend time with friends.

And be sure to check out Winter Fest, from 7­–11 p.m., on Feb. 19 and 20. F Lot will be transformed into a winter carnival, complete with an ice skating rink! Friday night also features an outdoor drive-in movie, a caricature artist, and hot chocolate. Saturday night includes a snow globe photo booth, a caricature artist, and hot beverages. For more information about upcoming events, visit UHart Hub. If you have any questions about the event or need any accommodations, please email The HEAT at theheat@hartford.edu.

As an extra precaution, lounges and common areas in our residences will remain closed through this week. We made this decision based on COVID-19 data specific to our residence halls, as well as a few behavioral issues that have occurred. It remains our hope that these areas can open soon. For this to happen, it is critical that you follow all of the health and safety policies we have communicated to you, including the residential life guest policy. As a reminder, a guest is defined as anyone who does not reside in the same housing unit. You can find all our policies on the Keeping Hawks Healthy website.

Accessing Campus

Commuters may, of course, come to campus to use the library, dining areas, and other facilities. Those buildings all close late in the evening, so considering our policy that prohibits visitors in residence halls, we are restricting commuters from coming to campus between the hours of 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. To enter campus, commuters must display the yellow H sticker you received after your arrival testing. If you do not have this sticker, please contact covidtest@hartford.edu.

We are also restricting the hours that rideshares can pick up students from F Lot. Ubers, Lyfts, taxis, and other ride services will not be able to pick you up on campus between the hours of 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.

As a reminder, anyone coming on campus must fill out the LiveSafe Health Screening before they arrive. Residential students must complete the screening every day.

Thank you to those who have followed our rules and guidelines so far this semester. With everyone’s cooperation, we are confident we can keep cases down and continue to have a safe and successful semester.

Sincerely,

COVID-19 Planning Group