2021-2022COVID-19 Information

October 1 Update

All numbers below were recorded as of October 1, 2021.

As they did last year, Westmont students, professors and staff members have carefully followed safety protocols and many have been vaccinated, which has prevented serious outbreaks on campus. While we’ve had 22 total cases in the community so far this semester, contract-tracing and quarantines have kept the virus from spreading on campus. Our positivity rate continues to be a low 2.23 percent.

• Total vaccination rate for the entire campus: nearly 80%

  • +76% of students are vaccinated

  • +90% of faculty and staff are vaccinated

• About 1,000 COVID-19 tests performed (combined PCR and antigen)
• Test positivity rate: 2.23%
• 22 total cases
  • 19 unvaccinated
  • 3 vaccinated

We continue to encourage vaccinations for our community members. The numbers demonstrate that those who’ve been vaccinated are less likely to develop COVID-19, and if they do catch it, they appear to be less likely to transmit it to others.  

We're grateful to continue classes in person indoors, service in the Dining Commons and chapel in Murchison with everyone wearing masks in keeping with Santa Barbara County requirements.

Masks

• Masks are required at all times when indoors with the following exceptions:
  • When eating and drinking.
  • When in your room with only your roommate.

Testing

• Westmont will pay for both random and symptomatic testing.
• Vaccinated students will not need to be tested unless they develop symptoms, and they
  may request a COVID-19 test at any time.
• Unvaccinated students will be randomly tested throughout the semester using our new
  rapid antigen tests, which are far less invasive and yield results in 5 minutes. Students
  testing positive will then get a rapid PCR test with results available in 15 minutes.
• All students with symptoms—vaccinated and unvaccinated—will be tested.

Quarantine

• Vaccinated individuals are not required to quarantine after an exposure. We simply ask
  you to monitor your health and report any COVID-like symptoms to
  Institutional Resilience and get tested as soon as possible.
• Unvaccinated students exposed to someone testing positive for COVID-19 or exhibiting
  COVID-like symptoms will be required to quarantine.
  • Students exposed to someone testing positive for COVID-19 can test out of
    quarantine five days after their last contact via a PCR test.
  • Students exposed to someone experiencing COVID-like symptoms can be
    released from quarantine if the individual exhibiting symptoms tests negative for
    COVID-19.

Isolation

• All COVID-positive students will be required to isolate. We’ll have a limited number of isolation rooms on campus this semester. Because of these space limitations, the college reserves the right to send students to the Best Western in downtown Santa Barbara by Cottage Hospital.
  • Students without symptoms who test positive for COVID-19 will be isolated for 10
    days from the date they received their test results.
  • Students with symptoms who test positive may leave isolation 10 days following
    the onset of symptoms, assuming all symptoms are resolving and they’ve been
    without a fever for 24 hours.
  • Unvaccinated students who test positive for COVID-19 and are housed off
    campus temporarily for isolation may be responsible for any out-of-pocket
    expenses incurred during their stay, including the cost of the hotel room and any
    meals.
  • Westmont will cover the cost of housing and meals during isolation off campus
    for vaccinated students who test positive for COVID-19, similar to what the
    college did last year.

Guests

• You may have guests in your rooms, but you must all wear masks during those times.
  • No overnight guests will be allowed in residence hall rooms.