"Staying Safe" order to lift, Lakers encouraged to stay strong and continue safety protocols

The "Staying Safe" order, issued two weeks ago by the Ottawa County Department of Public Health (OCDPH), expires at midnight October 16; public health officials said they will not issue another formal order.

OCDPH officials recognized the efforts of Grand Valley students, faculty and staff that have resulted in a decrease in COVID-19 positive test results, noting that testing, wearing face coverings, distancing and hand washing are measures that are working.

Health officials and Grand Valley leaders are encouraging a "Staying Strong" approach to continue to keep GVSU and the surrounding community as safe as possible. 

All state regulations regarding COVID-19 as well as GVSU campus policies and practices remain in effect.

"I appreciate our solid partnership with the county health department and I am pleased with the drop in positive COVID-19 test results we’re seeing in the campus community,"said President Philomena V. Mantella. "I'm so proud of our community and want to thank everyone for taking this public health crisis seriously and following the guidelines. We know we must remain vigilant to do our best to keep the virus from spreading. Our community is well-informed, and we will keep all of the university preventive approaches in place."

Lisa Stefanovsky, OCDPH administrative health officer, commended the GVSU community for its commitment to safety. She said during the previous four weeks, under two consecutive public health orders, GVSU went from accounting for 77 percent of all Ottawa County COVID19 cases down to just 4 percent for the week ending October 10.

"This significant drop could only be realized through respect for and adherence to the public health orders and strict environmental prevention measures that GVSU and the offcampus housing community put in place to protect residents, workers and students," said Stefanovsky.

The GVSU Virus Action Team has consistently been reporting lower numbers of positive COVID-19 test results associated with GVSU. The current alert level for Grand Valley, determined by several local and regional health indicators, is at Moderate/Level 2. More information can be found on the GVSU COVID-19 Data Dashboard.

More information on GVSU policies and actions surrounding COVID-19 can be found at www.gvsu.edu/lakerstogether.