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 Winter Term.
Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,
Summary of updates in this message
- Status updates
- New updated university quarantine and isolation protocols
- Get your COVID-19 booster now
- What to do if you feel ill
- Extension of temporary policies for employee absences due to COVID-19
- Reminder of mobile ordering available from Elon Dining
Status updates
- The university dashboard is updated on the Healthy Elon website each weekday morning. As of yesterday, January 4, there were an estimated 89 active cases among Elon students and employees. This number includes only confirmed positive cases of students or employees who were on campus during a time of contagion and are currently in isolation. It does not include positive cases among students or employees that occurred during Winter Break, since those individuals were not on campus at the time of their positive test, remain in isolation, and have not yet returned to campus.
- All North Carolina counties are once again in the “high” community transmission category. The CDC and state health officials continue to recommend wearing masks in public indoor settings, including stores, restaurants, and other businesses. Effective today, Guilford County Commissioners have reinstated the county’s indoor mask mandate.
- The number of daily new cases and the number of active cases in Alamance County is at the highest point of the pandemic. While there are more than 2,200 active cases in the county, the number of people hospitalized remains at 40.
New updated university quarantine and isolation protocols
This week the university received authorization from county and state health officials to update the university quarantine and isolation protocols for students, in accordance with the CDC’s recent updates to guidance on quarantine and isolation.
If you test positive for COVID-19:
- You are required to isolate for 5 days regardless of symptoms or vaccination status, and then wear a mask when you are around others for 5 additional days.
If you have close contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19
- You are not required to quarantine if you are fully vaccinated, including booster shot (if eligible), or if you had a confirmed case of COVID-19 within the past 90 days. You are required to wear a mask when you are around others and to monitor symptoms for 10 days.
- You are required to quarantine for up to 5 days and wear a mask when you are around others for an additional 5 days if you have not provided Elon with documentation of your full vaccination, including booster shot (if eligible), or if you have not had a confirmed case of COVID-19 within the past 90 days. If you develop symptoms at any time in those 10 days, they will be required to test for COVID-19.
Since these protocols take effect immediately, remember that you are required to quarantine if you have had a close contact with a positive case and have not yet gotten your booster (if eligible). The best way to avoid a quarantine period is to get your booster as soon as possible and upload the documentation.
Get your COVID-19 booster now
As COVID-19 cases continue to rise in our area and on campus, we strongly recommend getting your booster shot now in order to receive the positive benefits of the booster as soon as possible. Information from the CDC is clear that boosters increase your immune response to COVID-19 and reduce the negative health impacts of the virus in the event of a positive diagnosis.
Students should not wait until the January 31 deadline and staff and faculty should also take steps now to get boosted. You can receive your booster at one of the upcoming on-campus booster clinics, or by getting an appointment at a local pharmacy.
After receiving your booster, upload documentation here by selecting “booster shot” under the status drop-down menu. You can verify your vaccination status by checking the My Readiness Portal. Visit the Healthy Elon Vaccination Central page for full information about vaccinations and booster shots.
What to do if you feel ill
Mask appropriately, stay away from others and get tested as soon as possible if you feel ill or have a cold or flu-like symptoms. Contact a medical professional for evaluation before returning to class or work and use Elon’s resources for additional support:
Students: Visit the walk-in symptomatic testing location for students at the Ellington Center. If your symptoms are severe and you need to see a medical provider, make an appointment for an in-person evaluation at Student Health Services or a telemedicine visit through TimelyCare. After-hours medical care information is available on the Student Health Services website.
Faculty and Staff: Contact your healthcare provider or the Faculty/Staff Wellness Clinic. Contact Human Resources (HREmployeeCovid@elon.edu or 336-278-5560) and your supervisor/department chair to discuss how to ensure your care and privacy, as well as make work arrangements.
Work with your professor or supervisor regarding how to handle class or work absences.
Students, faculty, staff or visitors who may need to access an off-campus testing site can use the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ “Find My Testing Site” online tool. (Note: Use the university’s zip code – 27244.)
Read more about resources Elon has in place if you test positive or need to quarantine.
Extension of temporary policies for employee absences due to COVID-19
The temporary continuity of work/instruction policies for employee COVID-19 absences that was originally in place for the fall 2021 semester has been extended through the end of May. Employees are encouraged to review the policy, which includes links to the continuity of work documents for staff and continuity of instruction plan for faculty.
Reminder of mobile ordering available from Elon Dining
Save the time spent ordering in person and waiting for your meal – and make social distancing easier – by placing orders online through the Transact Mobile Ordering app. Elon Dining locations included are: Biscuitville, Flat Out, Freshii, Acorn Coffee Shop, Einstein’s, Fountain Market and Qdoba.
Detailed information is always available on the Healthy Elon website, which 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 Wednesday, January 12, at 10:45 a.m., unless an additional message is warranted before then.
—
Dr. Jon Dooley
Vice President for Student Life