Throughout Fall Semester, Vice President for Student Life Jon Dooley is providing regular email update messages to keep students and parents informed about the efforts for a healthy semester.
Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,
Summary of updates in this message
- Status update on campus and in Alamance County
- COVID-19 information from campus experts
- Upcoming student flu vaccination clinics before the October 29 deadline
- Family Weekend information and guidance
Status Update
- 21 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed among Elon students and employees over the past week, September 15-21. This compares with 60 new cases in the previous 7-day period, September 8-14.
- As of yesterday, September 21, there were an estimated 31 active cases among Elon students and employees, compared to 74 active cases one week prior, Tuesday, September 14.
- The enhanced dashboard on the Healthy Elon website is updated each weekday morning, a change that was described in the September 17 email from Jeff Stein and the Healthy Elon committee.
- All North Carolina counties remain in the high community transmission category. The CDC and state health officials strongly recommend wearing masks in public indoor settings, including stores, restaurants, and other businesses.
Panel of Campus Experts
- Epidemiologist and Elon Assistant Professor Joann Gruber offers a look at the science behind indoor mask requirements at Elon and elsewhere and explains how masks can combat COVID-19 in this story posted on the Today at Elon website.
- Click here to watch a Q&A video with five members of the Healthy Elon Committee addressing frequently asked community questions related to COVID-19. The panel, moderated by Jason Husser, chair of Academic Council, focuses on campus cases, testing, vaccination requirements and booster shots, employee work policies, and more.
Student Flu Vaccination Clinics Before the October 29 Deadline
- Four additional on-campus clinics are scheduled in the coming weeks for students to receive their flu vaccinations in advance of the October 29 deadline. Dates, locations, and the links to register are available online here. Additional information about the student flu vaccine requirement is available here on the Healthy Elon website, including how to request a religious or medical exemption.
- Employees who wish to schedule a flu vaccine appointment on campus should visit the Faculty/Staff Wellness Clinic website for information and appointments.
Family Weekend Information and Guidance
We look forward to welcoming families to campus this weekend, September 24-26, for Family Weekend. As a reminder, the following guidelines will be in place to foster a safe and healthy environment for everyone:
- The university’s indoor mask requirement remains in effect. All students, employees, and visitors must wear masks in indoor campus spaces (except when alone in a private office, in a residence hall/apartment room, or while eating or drinking). Masks will be required for Fall Convocation and all other indoor events.
- Throughout the weekend, all students, families, and employees are also encouraged to have a mask handy for outdoor events with large crowds, and where social distancing is not possible.
- Individual faculty members may choose to move their Saturday morning meetings with families to an outdoor location. We ask that faculty post notices on their assigned indoor meeting location with directions to their outdoor location.
Health and wellness information for students and employees – including what to do if you feel ill, test positive or have close contact with a positive case – can be found here. The Healthy Elon website also offers responses to frequently asked questions about academics, vaccination, and employee information.
The next email update will be sent by Wednesday, September 29, at 10:45 a.m., unless an additional message is warranted before then. Additional information is always available on the Healthy Elon website at: www.elon.edu/healthyelon.
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Dr. Jon Dooley
Vice President for Student Life