COVID-19 Implications of Townie Tour

We are aware that the Townie Tour, an event which is neither sanctioned nor approved by the university, is scheduled for this weekend.  Please keep in mind that COVID-19 cases are rising in the State of Minnesota and the County of Winona.  In addition, last week, the university saw an increase in its positive COVID-19 cases among students (with 22 reported cases).  The current Omicron subvariant, BA.2, is 50 to 60% more transmissible than the original Omicron variant, which was 3 to 4 times more transmissible than the Delta variant. If you choose to participate in this event, you should exercise caution.  A positive COVID-19 case now could impact your ability to complete finals and process at commencement. It could also impact the ability of your friends and classmates to complete finals and process at commencement since you could bring the variant back to campus and spread it. Again, please be very cautious if you elect to participate in the Townie Tour.