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How Meredith Supports Students in COVID-19 Quarantine and Isolation

Have you wondered what happens when a resident student is in COVID-19 quarantine or isolation? There is a strong team of departments and individuals who support these students.

Resident students who are unable to go home or off campus to quarantine or isolate are moved to a temporary space in a residence hall. The rooms have been set up with a micro-fridge, linens, and a travel kit of shampoo/conditioner/soap.

As required by Meredith’s Community Standards, the Student Health Center, which includes Director Mary Johnson, Campus Physician Anne Smithson, and Registered Nurse Sheri Weathers, is typically the first department contacted when a student has a positive COVID test. Johnson then rallies the troops to respond. Several departments on campus are involved.

Residence Life staff manage meal requests from the students and deliver the meals to students in isolation or quarantine. Campus Dining ensures the students have a balanced meal and packs meals in to-go trays. Each meal is bagged individually and labeled with the room number. A small team of staff has been delivering meals each day (as needed) since August 5.

Housekeeping cleans any area on campus that needs to be addressed after a positive case. Occasionally, COVID cleaning protocol requires that an outside company provides additional cleaning in campus spaces.

People who have tested positive for COVID-19 need to isolate for approximately 10 days, but their close contacts need to quarantine for up to 14 days. At Meredith, contact tracers work to locate individuals who may have been in contact with a student who is positive. One positive case can impact several others.

How to Help
For the spring semester, the College expects to manage isolation and quarantine in a similar manner. Additional volunteers are needed to help with delivering meals.

“The task is fairly straightforward and with each person doing what they need to in order to minimize personal risk, including the 3 Ws, delivering meals has very low risk,” said Director of Residence Life Heidi LeCount. “Campus Dining has everything ready for pick up so it’s a matter of getting to BDH, picking up the meals, and delivering them.”

The meal delivery typically takes about 20 minutes total after the volunteer arrives at Belk.  Please note that exempt (hourly) employees who volunteer to deliver meals can do so on their lunch break or with the approval of their supervisor.

If you will be on campus during the spring semester and would like to help out, please email reslife@meredith.edu to volunteer. Complete delivery instructions will be provided to all volunteers. Employees who are interested can also review the instructions before committing to help.

Melyssa Allen

News Director
316 Johnson Hall
(919) 760-8087
Fax: (919) 760-8330

allenme@meredith.edu