Update about COVID-19 restrictions in Virginia and reminder of best practices

Hello Maroons!  

We have an update for you regarding the COVID-19 restrictions in Virginia and our situation on campus.  

Gov. Ralph Northam updated the Commonwealth yesterday with the latest status regarding COVID-19. The latest executive order includes:  

• An increase in the limits of outdoor gatherings to 25 people. The limit for indoor gatherings remains at 10.  
• Elimination of the midnight to 5 a.m. curfew 
• Spectators are now allowed at outdoor sporting events but with strict capacity limits.  

We have seen a small increase in positive cases on campus. Currently, we have 18 active cases. We also know that variants of the original virus are present in the United States and in our region. We still must operate with caution and maintain our protocols.  

This presents a good opportunity to ask for your support in getting and keeping these numbers down. Your support would mean making your strongest effort to avoid large gatherings, wearing your mask, keeping six feet of physical distance when possible and washing or sanitizing your hands frequently. Following these simple rules will hopefully keep our students and classes on campus.

We have a robust testing program on campus with regular testing of groups of students each week to identify asymptomatic positive cases. We also regularly test athletes in accordance with NCAA guidelines. Any student, faculty or staff member who exhibits symptoms can be tested as well. If you have COVID-19 symptoms or have taken a COVID-19 test somewhere else besides our health center and tested positive, it’s important for you to notify the College’s Student Health and Counseling, even if you live off campus. It’s critical for your safety, and the safety of your friends, peers, faculty and staff. The College can provide you with additional care and support needs even when you live off campus. Please reach out to Student Health and Counseling Services at (540) 375-2286. 

All of us on campus remain concerned about the emotional demands created by COVID-19.The uncertainty it creates is unsettling. We all have some version of extra fears and pressures, and I want to ask everyone to take extra care of themselves and look out for one another in a more concerted way during this time. In addition to our individual and group counseling services, we have some great resources such as Therapy Assistance Online (TAO) Self-Help and Let’s Talk Drop-in Counseling. Also, residential students can use the 24/7 MaroonCare telehealth option free of charge. Students residing off campus also have access to MaroonCare (visit fees apply). Please visit roanoke.edu/shcs for more information about Student Health and Counseling Services.    

As always, you may visit roanoke.edu/healthycampus for the latest information. Here, you will find a dashboard where we report Roanoke College COVID-19 cases on a weekly basis. Questions may also be sent to questions@roanoke.edu or you may leave us a voicemail with your question by calling 540-375-2244. 

Have a great weekend,

Tom Rambo 

Interim Dean of Students