Updated weekly, our COVID-19 dashboard reflects data from the seven days prior to the most recent page update.

University of Puget Sound is designated as a fully vaccinated campus according to the Washington State Department of Health recommendations for institutions of higher education. All campus members are required to provide proof of COVID-19 primary series and booster vaccination or an approved medical or religious exemption to participate in campus activities.

Page last updated: May 8, 2023

New This Week

Current Campus Status: Low (baseline mitigation)

Campus COVID-19 Mitigation Action Plan

1
New Student Cases
0
New Faculty/Staff Cases
0
Number of Students in On-Campus Isolation

Puget Sound has 82 isolation spaces.

0.03%
Percentage of Positive Cases (of Total Population)

Based on a population of 3,000 total students, faculty, and staff.

Spring-to-Date Totals (Beginning Jan. 1, 2023)

93
Positive Cases

Campus COVID-19 Mitigation Action Plan

Working with our public health consultant, Tegria, the university has determined the following thresholds to help guide decision-making about campus operations and activities. These indicators are part of a range of factors influencing our COVID-19 response, including proclamations and guidance issued by Gov. Inslee; Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department guidance and recommendations; contact tracing capacity and effectiveness; access to personal protective equipment (PPE); and other considerations. 

Note that certain campus operations and activities may be modified or temporarily suspended due to public health, professional standards, or other external organizational guidance. For example, in addition to university guidelines, the intercollegiate athletics program also abides by Northwest Conference and NCAA guidelines. 

COVID-19 Indicators

  Low Medium High
Case Count on Campus 0–14 cases 15–29 cases 30 or more cases
CDC Community Level Low Medium High
Vaccination

Vaccines provide protection against severe disease

95% or more of campus members are up to date on vaccines

Vaccines' protection from severe disease may be waning

Less than 95% or campus members are up to date on vaccination

 Vaccines are not protective against severe disease or death
Operations and Services

Absenteeism does not cause major impacts on ability to teach and learn

No major impact on essential services

Isolation housing less than 50% capacity

Moderate absenteeism in classes due to isolation requirements

One or more essential service is impacted

Isolation housing is at or approaching more than 50% capacity (single-bed capacity)

Widespread absenteeism in classes due to isolation requirements

Widespread interruptions to essential services

Isolation housing is at full capacity; double rooming in isolation required; isolate-in-place protocol may be enacted
Testing Availability

Testing widely available

No delay in lab processing times

Testing availability is limited

Lab processing times are slightly delayed

Testing availability is severely impacted

Lab processing times significantly delayed
Contact Tracing Close contacts are notified within 24 hours Close contacts are notified with 48 hours Unable to effectively contact trace

COVID-19 indicator definitions

 

COVID-19 Mitigations

  Baseline Mitigation Moderate Mitigation Increased Mitigation
Vaccination Required for all campus members Required for all campus members Required for all campus members
Masking Optional, strongly recommended in indoor group setting

Universal or targeted masking may be required in indoor settings

 Required indoors for all
Testing

Symptomatic testing through CHWS (for students) and MultiCare clinic on campus by appointment

Focused testing for affected groups

Symptomatic testing through CHWS (for students) and MultiCare clinic on campus by appointment

Screening testing of full campus

At-home tests available for pickup at designated locations

Symptomatic testing through CHWS (for students) and MultiCare clinic on campus by appointment

Definitions & Additional Information

Definitions

Cases
The term "case" is used to refer to a campus member with a positive diagnostic test result for COVID-19.

 

On Campus and Off Campus
"On campus" refers to a student who lives in a residence hall, or on-campus house.
"Off campus" refers to a student who does not live in residential housing on campus.

 

COVID-19 Indicator Definitions

Case Count on Campus
New cases on campus reported within a seven-day period (assumes population of 3,000).

 

CDC Community Level
The combination of the following three metrics to determine the COVID-19 community level:

  • New COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 population in the past seven days
  • Percent of staffed inpatient beds occupied by COVID-19 patients
  • Total new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population in the past seven days

New COVID-19 admissions and the percent of staffed inpatient beds occupied represent the current potential for strain on the health system. Data on new cases acts as an early warning indicator of potential increases in health system strain in the event of a COVID-19 surge. (cdc.gov)

 

Vaccination
Vaccination rate and effectiveness against severe outcomes for current variant. At this time, vaccination is providing protection against severe disease and hospitalization.  

 

Operational Impact of Cases
Essential services, such as Dining and Event Services; Security Services; Counseling, Health, and Wellness Services; and Facilities Services are experiencing staff shortages which make it difficult to operate effectively. 

 

Isolation Capacity and Staff Support
The isolation residence hall has 42 rooms. We have the ability to double room students for up to 84-bed capacity. When single-bed occupancy is reached (50% capacity), students in single rooms on campus may have to isolate in place if they test positive. Once double-room capacity is reached, all students will need to isolate in place.  

 

Testing Availability
Testing availability refers to testing resources both on campus and in the wider community, such as testing sites and availability of at-home tests.

Additional Information

The health and well-being of the Puget Sound community is of paramount importance as the university navigates the COVID-19 pandemic. University of Puget Sound considers a range of factors in making decisions related to the university’s overall response to COVID-19, including the following:

  • Proclamations and guidance issued by Gov. Inslee
  • Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department guidance and recommendations 
  • CDC guidance
  • COVID-19 prevalence on campus
  • COVID-19 prevalence in Pierce County and across the state and nation
  • Availability of testing, including testing material
  • Percentage of students in isolation or quarantine on campus and the number of available isolation and quarantine beds
  • Percentage of faculty and staff members in isolation or quarantine
  • Contact tracing capacity and effectiveness
  • Access to personal protective equipment (PPE)
  • Effectiveness of a wide range of COVID-19 risk-mitigation protocols

 

View the fall 2022 dashboard.

 

For more information about the university's response to COVID-19, visit pugetsound.edu/coronavirus.

 

To view information and statistics by county and statewide, visit the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department Coronavirus website and the Washington State Department of Health 2019 Novel Coronavirus Outbreak page. 

 

If you have questions related to this dashboard, please email contacttracing@pugetsound.edu.