February 23 update from Vice President for Student Life Jon Dooley

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 Spring Semester.

Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,

Summary of updates in this message

  • Status updates
  • The road ahead
  • Booster clinic registration

Status updates

The university dashboard is updated on the Healthy Elon website each weekday morning.

  • Five new COVID-19 cases were confirmed among Elon students and employees over the past week, February 16-22. This compares to 15 new cases the week prior.
  • As of yesterday, February 15, there were an estimated two active cases among Elon students and employees. This compares to 11 active cases a week ago.
  • The reported number of cases and the testing positivity rates across North Carolina have fallen significantly since mid-January. As of today, Alamance and Guilford counties remain in the high transmission category, but the current trends suggest that will change to a lower level in the coming weeks.

The road ahead

Last week the Healthy Elon Committee shared information with the university about the path forward in the coming weeks. The very high rates of booster vaccination among Elon students and employees, combined with the sharp decline in new cases, mean that we will be in a position to adjust some campus policies in the coming weeks.

In light of the positive trends, N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper and Secretary of Health & Human Services Kody Kinsley have encouraged schools and cities to lift indoor mask requirements by Monday, March 7. The Healthy Elon Committee is reviewing the university’s indoor mask requirement and working with local and regional data experts to determine the best timing for adjusting campus policies.

We also recognize that new variants are on the horizon and community surges remain a possibility, so we will need to remain nimble in navigating this next phase of the pandemic.

Booster clinic registration

Booster clinics will be held on-campus each Friday until the beginning of Spring Break. Advance registration for all on-campus booster clinics is available online.

Additional information

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, March 2, at 10:45 a.m., unless an additional message is warranted before then.

Dr. Jon Dooley

Vice President for Student Life