After fall success, Oberlin College doubling down on virus testing

OBERLIN — Safety protocols worked this fall at Oberlin College, where 11,293 coronavirus tests revealed just 30 positive cases. Now President Carmen Twillie Ambar is doubling down on that success and hoping it translates into the spring semester. "For us, this has always been about the health and safety of the entire community," she said Monday night in a report to City Council. Planning for campus vaccinations is underway, Ambar said. In the meantime, the start of the spring semester has been pushed back to Feb. 1, giving students time to quarantine for a short period after arriving on campus. Testing will continue at a clip of nearly 3,000 tests per month, she said. There will also be opportunities for rapid testing, checking for both COVID-19 and the flu. Rapid tests — also known as antigen tests — aren't as reliable as PCR tests. So positive antigen tests will be backed up with PCR tests, Ambar said. Keeping students active outside through the cold Ohio winter will be key to preventing the spread of the virus, she said. Oberlin College is looking at creative ways for students to socialize "because we know that's an important part of health," she said. One solution will be "Ice Town." Over the course of several weeks, it will provide students with an ice rink and a way to make ice sculptures. Commencement will not be typical in 2021, either. Ambar said a socially distanced ceremony is being planned, probably without students' families present. "It just doesn't seem to us we'll be able to pull off that size of a gathering, given what we know about COVID-19," she said. Going outdoors helped prevent campus spread during the fall. Also contributing to the college's success was a deep student commitment to masks, hand-washing and social distancing, Ambar said. All students were required to receive flu vaccinations. There was also an emphasis on routine symptom monitoring. A 16-member contact tracing team was effective in reaching people who may have been exposed to the coronavirus. Those at risk were placed in isolation at The Hotel at Oberlin, said Ambar, and those with confirmed cases were quarantined in two residence halls set aside for the purpose. Not everyone was on board with the rigorous safety protocols. Fifteen Oberlin students were sent home to continue studying remotely because they violated an agreement to obey the college's health standards. But while other college towns struggled with outbreaks, Oberlin City Council was pleased with the results reported by Ambar. Councilman Ray English said he was particularly impressed with how seriously most students took precautions, and how well-coordinated the college's safety campaign was. "We rejoice with you at the success of your initiative this fall," Council President Linda Slocum said. Contact Jason Hawk at (440) 329-7122 or news@lcnewspapers.com.