All positive COVID-19 cases are reviewed by a committee of medical and public health professionals who are authorized to take appropriate action to ensure the health and safety of the individual and the community, including isolation, contact tracing and additional cleaning.
UNM is sharing information about cases on its COVID-19 dashboard, as well as potential exposure areas on its Facilities Maintenance site, so that members of our community are aware of the numbers, locations, and affiliation (faculty, staff, student, other) of cases at UNM. In sharing that information, UNM knows it must protect the privacy of individuals; broadly releasing specific information, such as the dormitory room number of someone who tested positive, might result in public scrutiny that would result in the identification of an individual.
One of our key values at UNM is “Protecting the Pack,” and that obligation is taken seriously. UNM has chosen not to release specific details about COVID-19 positives on its website that might result in the identification of an individual member of our community, but will continue to share our number of positive cases and potential exposure locations in order to best protect our campus.
While UNM cannot confirm an individual’s COVID-19 positive status or where that individual may be living, as student records are protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), University protocols are to evaluate each case for potential exposures from residence hall common areas and notify only the specific students who may have been exposed. In the case of residence halls that share living areas and common areas, such as kitchens or bathrooms, the likelihood of exposure may warrant a broader notification than if the living area were an apartment-style residence with its own amenities.