By Len La Rocca
Editor-in-Chief
Director of Student Health Services, Janice Vermeychuk, announced the College will be adding “random and targeted testing of vaccinated students and employees” to the current Covid-19 testing protocol as the Delta variant becomes more of a threat. The previous protocol only required unvaccinated students to be tested.
“Viruses constantly change or mutate, and new variants of a virus are expected to occur over time. Sometimes new variants emerge and disappear. Other times, new variants emerge and persist,” she wrote. “Delta is currently the ‘variant of concern’ in the U.S. and is causing 96% of the Covid-19 infections in N.J.”
The New Jersey Department of Health reported 2,040 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 on Sept. 23, many of which health experts such as Vermeychuk believe are caused by the Delta variant.
“Targeted testing strategies will be used in areas with COVID-19 infection such as individual residence halls, classes, and events,” Vermeychuk wrote. “While there is no cause for alarm, it is important that we are proactive in screening all members of our community to better ensure a safe and healthy campus.”
A testing coordinator will email students if they are selected for testing. Selected students will be tested in the Decker Social Space. Scheduling for testing is unclear at this time.
The extent to which targeted testing will apply to students in the same class as a person found to be a close contact is unclear.
Student Health Services were not immediately available for comment.
“If at any time you develop COVID-like symptoms, are a close contact to someone with confirmed Covid-19 infection, or test positive for Covid-19, please let us know right away by completing the Daily Self Check-Up in your ROAR app,” Vermeychuk noted. “If someone reports to you that they have Covid-19 or are a close contact, please email covidcomply@tcnj.edu and let us know. Duplicate information is much better than none at all.”
