COVID-19 Important Information

COVID transmission levels have leveled off, and the counties we serve are in the following status now:
 
In York County and Chester County, South Carolina, the community level is Low.

• Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines, including recommended booster doses.
• Maintain ventilation improvements.
• Avoid contact with people who have suspected or confirmed COVID-19.
• Follow recommendations for isolation if you have suspected or confirmed COVID-19.
• Follow the recommendations for what to do if you are exposed to someone with COVID-19.
• If you are at high risk of getting very sick, talk with a healthcare provider about additional prevention actions.

In Lancaster County, South Carolina, the community level is Medium.

• If you are at high risk of getting very sick, wear a high-quality mask or respirator (e.g., N95) when indoors in public.
• If you have household or social contact with someone at high risk for getting very sick, consider self-testing to detect infection before contact, and consider wearing a high-quality mask when indoors with them.
• Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines, including recommended booster doses.
• Maintain ventilation improvements.
• Avoid contact with people who have suspected or confirmed COVID-19.
• Follow recommendations for isolation if you have suspected or confirmed COVID-19.

Follow the recommendations for what to do if you are exposed to someone with COVID-19.

Recent numbers from the CDC show Chester County’s community transmission level for COVID-19 is high, while York County’s and Lancaster County’s transmission levels are medium. As you know, the situation can change quickly, and we want to ensure we take precautionary measures. Going forward, we strongly encourage all faculty, staff, and students at our main campus in Rock Hill and the Chester Center to wear masks when you are inside buildings and around others.

As a college, we are closely monitoring the situation, and all decisions will be made based on CDC guidelines. We can all play a part in keeping COVID-19 from spreading.

Unlike the early days of the virus, we have a vaccine that has been proven to work. The CDC highly recommends you get the vaccine and stay up to date with booster shots. We encourage everyone to follow their guidance.  

As a reminder, you are eligible to receive four free test kits per household. You can order the test kits here. Also, you can find a list of free testing sites in your county on DHEC’s website.

In addition to COVID-19, the flu and other viruses are also spreading in our community. We will work to ensure we have masks and hand sanitizing stations posted throughout both campuses. We ask that you please do your part to keep the viruses from spreading, including staying home if you are experiencing symptoms.

Should you or a member of your household test positive for COVID-19, the CDC has clear guidelines posted on its website that you must follow.

Students experiencing COVID or flu-like symptoms should stay home, seek medical care if needed, and report positive COVID test results to Counseling and Support Services (CASS) by emailing CASS@yorktech.edu. Students should also email their instructors and let them know of their absence(s). Faculty will work with students to address academic areas and needs.

We will continue to assess the situation and send out updates as it changes. Thank you for doing your part to keep our campus safe. 

CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/covid-by-county.html

SCDHEC:  https://scdhec.gov/covid19

A steady decline in the percentage of COVID positive rates has been recorded during February. The three counties in the College’s service area have reached either low or medium community levels as defined by the CDC. With this information, we are now in a position to lift our mask requirements and to change some of our COVID safety protocols.

The College has taken the following actions:

• Masks will no longer be required at our facilities. However, if Community-level indicators go back into the “High” range, the College may pivot back to the mask requirements that were previously in place. The College will continue to encourage social distancing, hand washing, and the use of hand sanitizers to lessen the risk of COVID transmission. Masks and sanitizers will remain available at all times. Anyone wishing to wear a mask for any reason is welcome and encouraged to do so.
  
  
• We encourage students to help us keep our campus safe by staying home when you are sick and continue to report positive COVID test results.

Going forward, the College and our Crisis Management Team will continue to monitor our internal data as well as that CDC and S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) data. This data will be used to make informed decisions and take appropriate public health actions for our community.

CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/covid-by-county.html

SCDHEC:  https://scdhec.gov/covid19

The health and well-being of our College community remain our priority as College Administration continues to monitor COVID data. There has recently been a significant regional and national increase in COVID-19 cases due to the Omicron variant. The current uncertainty around this variant poses challenges for the start of in-person classes for the Spring 2022 term.

As a result, changes have been made to our course schedule that will impact the first two weeks of the Spring semester, beginning on Monday, January 10.

*Many Courses Moving Online for Two Weeks*

Many Spring 2022 classes that begin on Monday, January 10, will move to an online format for the first two weeks of the semester (January 10 - January 21). This change impacts most but not all courses that begin on January 10. Class schedules will not reflect this temporary change. Students with classes impacted by this change should receive an email from course instructors in D2L by Friday, January 7 at noon with specific information.

A list of courses that will continue with an in-person format can be accessed HERE. All other courses not listed here will be online for the first two weeks of the semester.

Please note that, at this time, this change does not impact classes that start after January 10.

Currently, our goal is to return to in-person instruction on Monday, January 24.

York Technical College is excited to welcome students to its fall semester on Wednesday, August 18, 2021.  For the benefit and safety of everyone, the College is continuing with its extensive safety protocols in its efforts to minimize the spread of COVID-19 – enhanced cleaning, promoting social distancing, hand sanitizer stations throughout the campus, and requiring everyone to wear a face mask when accessing campus facilities.

While we are excited about having students on campus, the College continues to offer courses in multiple formats to allow for greater flexibility and safety. This fall, the College will continue to offer classes in various modalities. Approximately 26% of our course sections will be in-person, 39% online-only, and 35% hybrid format.  

For students, please review the Student Overview for Fall 2021 guide developed to provide details about our campus operations and resources to help ensure your success.  

With the resurgence of positive COVID-19 cases and the rapid spread of the Delta variant, we require everyone to wear a face mask while on-campus. Additionally, please avoid coming to campus if you’re feeling sick. For your convenience and awareness, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) website provides a wealth of information and resources about COVID-19 to include case data, testing locations, and where to get vaccinated.

If at any time you have a question or concern regarding the impact of COVID-19 on our campus community, please complete the YTC COVID-19 Question & Concern Form. 

Have a productive and safe fall semester!