The following message was sent by NTC & Bemidji State University President Faith C. Hensrud to all NTC employees and students on March 1, 2022.

Face coverings no longer required in indoor, public spaces at NTC

The day we have all been anticipating has finally arrived. Guided by recent changes to metrics used by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and by revised guidance from Minnesota State announced late this afternoon, I am announcing an immediate end to the requirement to wear face coverings in public, indoor spaces at Northwest Technical College.

A memo from Chancellor Malhotra shared late this afternoon, which is attached to this message, indicates that we can immediately end our indoor face covering requirements if Beltrami County is rated as Low or Medium level under a new CDC ranking system for COVID-19. Beltrami County is rated as Medium level in this ranking, which is explained in detail below.

This announcement does not mean that the COVID-19 pandemic has ended. The virus remains present in our community, and I encourage you to continue taking appropriate steps to help mitigate the potential spread of COVID-19. For example, anyone who has not yet been able to get vaccinated against COVID-19 or who is eligible for a booster dose is invited to an on-campus vaccination clinic this Thursday at BSU. More information about this clinic was shared on Monday, and a reminder is forthcoming.

There is much to unpack in the chancellor’s memo, and we are compiling a list of questions and items needing clarification for the system office. Please submit any questions you may have using the “I Have a Question” form on our website:
https://www.bemidjistate.edu/coronavirus/i-have-a-question/

Understanding CDC’s Community Levels

As our understanding of the COVID-19 virus has evolved over the last two years, so too has our understanding of the best approaches to mitigate its spread. And, tools to combat the spread of COVID-19 — such as easy-to-access vaccines which have proven highly effective in guarding against serious infections — the measures used to determine risk of infection can be adjusted.

Revised CDC guidelines, announced last Friday, indicate an approach which augments measures of viral spread with metrics meant to track medically significant infections — those requiring hospitalizations — and strain on a local health care system.

CDC is maintaining an online tool which allows you to view County Level data for every county in the United States, which you can find here:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/covid-by-county.html

CDC also has an excellent resource which thoroughly explains the rationale behind the development of this new metric. This page explains in detail how a county’s level is determined:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/science/community-levels.html

Thank you for your resilience, adaptability and fortitude during these past two years. The COVID-19 pandemic has presented incredible hardships, and it is my hope that for most of you this news will help bring some much-needed relief and a sense that we are taking steps toward a return to normalcy.

Sincerely,

Faith C. Hensrud, Ed.D
President
Northwest Technical College & Bemidji State University