Over the course of the 2022 school year, we’ve experienced multiple different conditions under the SLUH safety plan. From masks to mask-recommended, contact tracing to Zoom classes, there's a lot of change that has happened this year. But to end the academic year, SLUH has released a new safety plan for the spring and summer. 

The old safety plan outlined four conditions, with Condition 1 (Regional Positivity < 5 percent, Ro < 1.0, single digit monthly cases, high student and educator vaccination rate) having the lowest level of safety measures, and Condition 4 (Regional Positivity > 10 percent, Ro > 1.2, double digit monthly cases, moderate student and faculty vaccination rate) having the highest level of safety measures.

“We had four different conditions that we operated on based on regional metrics, safety metrics and the rates and some of the vaccination data for SLUH. What condition we would be in and what our protocols would be were driven by that and it served us very well,” said Principal Ian Gibbons, S.J. “With the very rapid decline in cases that happened in the spring, both at SLUH and within the region, we knew we needed to look at a new model for going into the close of the year and then into the summer.”

SLUH started the year in Condition 3, meaning masks were required inside the building. Starting in Condition 3 did allow some events to proceed, such as the historic Running of the Bills, which was lost last school year. 

“SLUH will be restoring many events lost in the past few years, including Running of the Bills, dances, student attendance at events and travel programs. While there will be special safety plans, it will be wonderful to recover so many great programs and opportunities,” stated the previous Safety Plan. 

The previous safety plan proved to be capable of dealing with the pandemic, but when the pandemic started to slow down, that safety plan was no longer needed, so a new one was created to adapt to the current, milder situation.

“The numbers were so low at that point, and our community is so vaccinated and shown to be capable of dealing in an outstanding way with the pandemic. So everything from the vaccine rates, to our ability to prevent any spread from happening on campus really has served us so well in that regard that we realized that we don't need to continue with the conditions,” said Gibbons. 

Because of the low case counts at SLUH and the overall metrics of the region, SLUH has decided to move away from the Condition system, meaning SLUH will not reenter Condition 2 or 3 based on regional positivity rates or Ro factors. If cases rise above 15 percent for the student body or 10 percent for the faculty and staff, then SLUH would shift back to the use of certain safety measures, which could include mask requirements indoors, temperature and wellness checks, contact tracing of cases, virtual classes for a designated period of time, and close of campus for a designated period of time. 

“We were so focused on positivity rates and reproductive numbers, and rightfully so. But along with that, the new safety plan says that we will look at mortality rates, deaths, we'll look at hospitalizations most importantly, we will look at severity of illness,” said Director of Student Health Scott Gilbert. “So even if positivity rates and reproductive numbers were to increase, if hospitalizations are low, people aren't dying, and severity of illness is mild, then we will continue to move forward without extreme measures.”

Still some things remain, such as the fact that positive cases must be reported to Gilbert or Gibbons. 

“The attendance office must also be notified of the absence,” continues the new Safety Plan. “Positive cases must self-isolate for five days and may return to campus on the sixth day if symptom free. Masks must be worn by these positive cases for the next five days.”

SLUH will continue to monitor regional case counts, hospitalizations, and mortality rates, as well as continue to work with the St. Louis Department of Health as public health protocols are updated. 

“Our tremendous efforts these past few years have helped SLUH to navigate the pandemic well. While nobody wants to see restrictions, we will continue to balance our reopening with the safety of our community,” concludes the new Safety Plan.

Looking to the future, SLUH plans to continue this upward trend and return to a normal, pre-Covid time. As Gilbert said, “We continue to move forward, we don't move backwards.”