Campus update: Masking now required

May 9, 2022

Change to COVID masking protocols

Augustana College has experienced a slight increase in COVID-19 cases. We currently have 43 confirmed cases: 35 are students and eight are employees. 

Effective immediately, everyone— vaccinated or not — must mask indoors in all public spaces, including hallways and when visiting campus offices. 

The only exceptions are:

• Roommates in their residence hall rooms.

• Employees alone in their offices.

• People eating in the Gerber Center, Brew by the Slough and college functions where food is served.

We will continue to perform our own contact tracing, and we are working with students to ensure they have necessary housing for isolation and/or quarantine. When quarantine and isolation spaces are not available on campus, we are partnering with the Holiday Inn in downtown Rock Island.   

Augustana follows the CDC recommendation that people who test positive isolate for at least five full days and then wear a mask for an additional five days when around others. Close contacts, regardless of vaccination status, should mask when in close contact with others for 10 days after the initial contact. All close contacts should also test after Day 5 per public health guidance.   

For people who need a mask, limited supplies of N-95, KN-95 and KF-94 masks are available in the Dean of Students Office (inside Founders Hall), from 8 a.m.-4.30 p.m. weekdays. 

People who are experiencing symptoms are encouraged to test. You can take a home test, visit a local facility providing testing, or the clinic on campus.

Students who test positive for COVID-19 should immediately contact Augustana Public Safety. Call 309-794-771. Employees who test positive should contact the Office of Human Resources.

Preventive measures such as masking will put us in the best position possible to finish the academic year strong and minimize the spread of COVID.