Housing, Quarantine and COVID-19: Q&A with Candace Bass

As COVID-19 continues to pass through the community, students have questions about how Oklahoma Christian University is managing the spread.

Director of Residence Life Candace Bass spoke with the Talon and answered some frequently asked questions about quarantine and housing policies.

Let’s say a student has been in contact with someone who is showing symptoms of COVID-19 but that person has not received their test results. What should the student do? 

When a student has symptoms of COVID-19, they should contact our clinical nurse, Shawna Hood. Shawna will advise what to do next, but generally, the recommendation is to quarantine until they get a negative test result. Shawna quickly notifies their professors, and we encourage students to communicate with their professors as well. We evaluate each situation and try to make a safe plan for the student. So, if a student was concerned that they had been exposed or had COVID-19 symptoms, we would want them to quarantine.

How is it determined which students are moved into isolation in different dorm rooms/apartments?

Each building has designated quarantine rooms. Some buildings have a lot of spaces, like Wilson West, and some only have a few, like University House. If the quarantine rooms are full in one building, we would move the students to the nearest location with available rooms.

As of the time of the interview, what is the status of quarantine housing in residence halls? Is it at or near capacity in some residence halls? What about apartment buildings?

There are a total of 89 quarantine rooms/apartments, which can accommodate up to 186 students. Right now, 14 out of 77 quarantine rooms and 3 out of 12 apartments are occupied. Some students quarantine off-campus or in their current assignments, depending on the situation.

Each Monday, OC updates its website with our current statistics. You can check it out [here].

Some quarantined students invite visitors to talk to them through windows or meet with them outside. What is OC’s recommendation on these kinds of activities?

As long as COVID safety precautions are being followed, we fully support students visiting their quarantined friends. They should be masked and at least 6 feet apart. It’s lonely being in quarantine and visiting safely is a great way to boost spirits.

Earlier in the semester, an email was sent about discipline for violating quarantine or attending large gatherings. What issues prompted this email? How have you/the COVID-19 task force managed quarantine/housing infractions or large gathering infractions?

From Dr. Jeff McCormack, COVID-19 Task Force Leader: 

The safety of our students, staff and faculty is the primary focus of the roadmap that has been developed and subsequent email communication to the students.  In situations where individuals have chosen to not comply with the established guidelines, our first step would be to understand the basis for their decision because there may be situations or health conditions that might be guiding that decision.  In a situation where an individual is participating in activities that repeatedly violates the guidelines and continues to jeopardize the health and safety of the OC campus, disciplinary measures would be an option.  To date, no disciplinary steps have been taken and the Task Force expects that will continue to be the case.   

Many churches have altered their services with outdoor worship services and optional gatherings that provide the flexibility needed to maintain compliance.