Coronavirus

Updated October 21, 2020

All active COVID-19 active cases, quarantine and isolation totals are available on our Plans & Reports page.

Updated June 23, 2021

Pinellas County and the CCity of St. Petersburg allow businesses to set their own mask/face covering policies for adults. In Florida, 52.5% of residents have taken at least their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. For vaccination and other statistics at Eckerd College, please monitor the Plans & Reports page.

Updated June 23, 2021

Until the campus reaches an 85% vaccination rate for all on-campus populations (students, faculty and staff), adherence to safer behaviors—which may include the use of face coverings, social distancing, cleaning and disinfection and dining and residence halls protocols—will continue. Students who have not submitted proof of vaccination will be required to submit negative COVID-19 test results before returning to campus from summer and term breaks. All faculty, staff and students on campus are subject to the mandatory surveillance testing program unless they have provided proof of vaccination to Health Services or Human Resources.

Updated June 23, 2021

If you have come into contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19 or develop fever, cough and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, email the COVID Care Team at together@eckerd.edu (students) or call your healthcare provider (employees and staff) for further instructions

• Florida Department of Health
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• World Health Organization

Updated June 23, 2020

All members of the Eckerd College community can do their part to prevent the spread of illness, including COVID-19, by following the CDC hygiene recommendations:

• Get complete COVID-19 vaccination before moving into on-campus housing or returning to in-person classes. Students can voluntarily submit proof of vaccination to Health Services, and staff and faculty may submit to Human Resources.
• If you are unvaccinated, wear a mask indoors and outdoors when social distancing may be challenging to maintain.
• To help prevent the spread of all germs and disease, wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. While not as effective, use hand-sanitizer if you cannot wash with soap and water.
• Clean your high-touch items frequently. Eckerd College’s cleaning supplies meet Environmental Protection Agency guidelines for emerging pathogens, and housekeeping staff clean high-traffic areas more frequently.
• Do not attend classes, or come to work, if you feel ill.
• Practice social distancing, particularly if you are unsure whether those you are with have been vaccinated. Continue to wear a mask when in large groups.
• If you are suffering from symptoms of respiratory illness (e.g., fever, cough, shortness of breath and difficulty breathing), please call the campus Health Services or your primary healthcare provider; Pinellas County residents who have these symptoms and also have recently traveled or were exposed to someone known to have tested positive, should call the Pinellas County Health Department at 727.824.6932.

Updated June 23, 2021

All College Program Series (including Presidential Events Series) events will be hosted via digital platforms. Intercollegiate and club sporting events are closed to the public until further notice.

Updated July 27, 2020

We are currently welcoming a limited number of families to campus each week. Appointments must be made in advance at our Admissions website or by calling 727.864.8331. Families of four or fewer who visit can experience a student-led tour. To maintain the health of the Eckerd community, all visitors will have their temperatures taken, and masks must be worn. Social distancing also must be maintained. For those who prefer to continue their college searches virtually, we invite you to learn more about the Eckerd experience through the following ways:

• Sign up for a Virtual Information Session.
• Connect with a counselor. An Admission Counselor would be happy to speak with you and answer any questions you may have about Eckerd.
• Take a Virtual Tour.
• Take a Video Tour.
• Follow us on Facebook.
• Check us out on Twitter.
• See us on Instagram.

Please be in touch if you have any questions about Eckerd.

You can find your counselor and other ways to contact us on our website. We welcome your calls or emails!

International students who have questions or need to notify the College of a change in their plans should contact Olivier Debure, Director of International Student Services, at debureoc@eckerd.edu.

We recognize that the pandemic has caused a change in financial circumstances for some families, and we invite them to contact the Office of Financial Aid at finaidappeals@eckerd.edu to discuss their circumstances.

Updated August 26, 2021

All sports seasons will be competing this academic year following strict guidelines in accordance with College and the NCAA protocols to support player, coach, and community safety. Per guidance from the NCAA and its medical staff, masks are not required while actively participating (practice and games).

Universal protocols include: testing for individuals that have not voluntarily provided proof of vaccination or are symptomatic, strategic placement of roommates/individuals during overnight stays, pause protocols, and universal masking for travel and indoor areas (team meetings, athletic training room, weight room, and locker room). Additional protocols may be adjusted once individual teams reach an 85% vaccination rate.

Fans are permitted at contests at reduced occupancy, and fans in attendance at indoor facilities must follow universal masking protocols of the institution.

Outside of athletic participation, student-athletes will follow all Eckerd College COVID protocols for students.

Protocols may be changed as updated data emerges from the national, state, or institutional level.

Updated July 27, 2020

If you have any additional questions, please email together@eckerd.edu. A member of the planning team will respond as soon as possible. You can also sign up for our Eckerd Alerts to receive updates from the College.

After receiving a finalized room assignment and move-in date from the Housing Office, students will be permitted to have up to 2 guests assist them with moving into their assigned residence hall room. During this time everybody will need to follow social distancing guidelines and masks must be worn at all times. Any guests who are not following these protocols will be asked to leave campus immediately. Guests are only permitted to be in the room during scheduled move-in and they need to be off-campus four hours after the student receives their room key.

Updated January 23, 2021

Bon Appétit Management Company, the College’s food service vendor, has developed protocols for safer food handling and service. Those protocols include:

• All food in the main cafeteria is served by food service employees as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Disinfecting and sanitizing of all highly touched surfaces takes place every 30 minutes.
• Dishware is eco-friendly but disposable.
• All food outlets have capacity limits and extended hours.
• Additional food trucks and food kiosks provide creative and delicious food options.

If the campus achieves 85% vaccination rate for all populations, indoor dining and residence hall lounges will reopen for daily use. Until that time:

• Food in the Pub and CEC cafeteria is grab-and-go only.
• No interior seating will be available, but outdoor covered seating has been expanded at the main cafeteria.

Find more information about Bon Appétit’s plans.

Updated June 23, 2021

To return for Fall Semester 2021, students who have not submitted proof of vaccination to Health Services must secure their own tests in the communities where they reside prior to their return to campus, or can find options for at-home tests in the Pre-Arrival Testing Protocols document. Details and instructions for submission also can be found in the Pre-Arrival Testing Protocols document. Results must be from either a PCR test (nasal swab or saliva test are acceptable) or a NAAT (nucleic acid amplification test). Antigen test results are not acceptable. Students should check with their local department of health or the Health and Human Services website for community-based testing sites.

After arrival, students will be required to download a symptom monitoring app to their mobile phone and log the results daily. Bayfront Health will provide on-campus coronavirus testing in the health clinic. Symptomatic or recently exposed students, faculty and staff should self-isolate and call ahead to 727.864.8326 to schedule an appointment.

Students, faculty and staff who have not provided proof of vaccination to Health Services or Human Resources will take part in weekly surveillance testing on-campus. All students will be assessed a $750 surveillance testing fee for the semester that can be waived or prorated upon receipt of proof of COVID-19 vaccination. Participants will be notified on Thursday or Friday to report for testing on Monday. Compliance is mandatory. Pool results will be shared on our Plans & Reports page.

The College may be able to help. Please contact us at together@eckerd.edu.

Due to the nature of the courses, faculty are unable to offer some instruction via remote delivery. Classes unavailable to remote learners are indicated in the registration module in which students choose classes.