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
- Indoor mask requirement to remain for the rest of fall semester
- Testing before Thanksgiving travel
- COVID-19 vaccine booster shots – uploading documentation and on-campus clinic
Status Update
The university dashboard is updated on the Healthy Elon website each weekday morning.
- 3 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed among Elon students and employees over the past week, November 3-9. This compares to 9 new cases the previous 7-day period.
- As of yesterday, November 9, there were an estimated 4 active cases among Elon students and employees. This compares to 11 active cases a week ago.
- The majority of North Carolina counties remain in the high community transmission category, including Alamance and Guilford counties. The CDC and state health officials strongly recommend wearing masks in public indoor settings, including stores, restaurants, and other businesses.
Indoor mask requirement to remain for the rest of fall semester
As announced by the Healthy Elon Committee last Thursday, November 4, the university’s indoor mask requirement will remain in place through at least the conclusion of the fall semester. Masks continue to be required for all indoor locations on campus, except for private offices, residents of residence hall rooms and apartments, and when actively eating or drinking.
The Healthy Elon Committee, Data Team, and Infectious Disease Response Team continue to monitor conditions on campus and in the local community and will provide advance notice of policy guidelines for Winter Term and Spring Semester. Winter Term guidance will be shared in mid-to-late December, and we will continue to base policies on CDC assessment of COVID-19 community transmission risks, on-campus conditions, as well as guidance from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and the Alamance and Guilford County health departments.
Testing before Thanksgiving travel
The testing page of the Healthy Elon website has information about the regular schedule for COVID-19 testing next week. Asymptomatic walk-up testing is available in Oaks 212 for those who are interested in testing before Thanksgiving break.
Members of the university community are encouraged to review the CDC guidance for travel as you finalize your travel plans for Thanksgiving and the end of the semester.
COVID-19 vaccine booster shots – uploading documentation and on-campus clinic
All university students, faculty, and staff are eligible for COVID-19 vaccine booster shots, as announced previously by the CDC. Elon University Physician Dr. Ginnette Archinal described the importance of booster shots in a brief video released this week.
Elon students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to get their booster shot before Thanksgiving and Winter Break travel, and to upload their vaccine booster documentation here by selecting “booster shot” under the status drop-down menu. Visit the Healthy Elon Vaccination Central page for full information about vaccinations and booster shots.
Elon will host an on-campus clinic for Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 booster shots on Tuesday, November 30 – more details will be released once the link for advance registration is available.
The Healthy Elon website provides important 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. The site also offers responses to frequently asked questions about academics, vaccination, and employee information.
The next email update will be sent by Wednesday, November 17, at 10:45 a.m., unless an additional message is warranted before then. Detailed information is always available on the Healthy Elon website.
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Dr. Jon Dooley
Vice President for Student Life