As of Aug. 31, there have been 18 positive cases of COVID-19 reported to and confirmed by NCC. All cases are from students; there have yet to be any positive cases reported/confirmed from faculty or staff as of Aug. 6.
Of those students, only two are isolated in designated on-campus housing while the rest are isolating at home. Only seven of those students were on campus when they found out they tested positive. The rest tested positive before school started and have since been isolating at home.
The State of Illinois now has 236,515 confirmed cases of COVID-19, but still has a 95% recovery rate.
Campus Testing
There are several ways the College keeps up with all potential and positive COVID-19 cases in the campus community.
Prior to returning to campus, the College recommended all members of the campus community to get tested for COVID-19 and to report any positive tests by completing the College’s COVID-19 Reporting Form.
“We have completed the initial phase of our testing strategy (entry testing) and have moved into our next phase, which includes ongoing testing of student-athletes and athletic staff who are participating in fall sports activities,” said Kimberly Sluis, vice president for Student Affairs and Strategic Initiatives and also a co-chair of the College’s COVID-19 Institutional Response Team.
In addition, the College required on-campus testing for all residential students arriving from states with high incidences of COVID-19. NCC conducts tests in partnership with a local lab. The lab bills the individual’s insurance to cover the cost of the test.
“If an individual does not have insurance, or their insurance does not cover the test, the College will assume the cost of the test,” according to NCC’s COVID-19 website.
The College asks all individuals tested on campus to self-quarantine while waiting for their results. This can take up to three days.
Preventative Measures
If someone on campus does test positive on campus, an NCC contact tracer and a case manager will reach out to anyone who may have been in contact with the sick individual. The College advises everyone to use the #CampusClear app to track their symptoms.
“We continue to encourage all community members to track their symptoms daily using the CampusClear app, and to follow what we hope are now becoming routine health and safety practices like wearing face coverings, social distancing, regularly washing their hands and staying home when sick,” said Sluis.
The numbers in this story are correct as of 1:10 p.m. on Sept. 1.
