A weekly update from Vice President for Student Life Jon Dooley with community health information, important resources and announcements of any changes to protocols.
Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,
As announced in my July 27 email update to the Elon community, this week marks the return of regular Wednesday health update messages. We encourage you to read the weekly email, which will include important information, links to university websites with additional resources, and announcements about any changes to protocols.
Each message will use the subject line “Community Health Update” so they will be easy to find in your email folders, and information will also be disseminated through Today at Elon and the official Elon University social media accounts. The weekly updates will also be supplemented by occasional messages, as warranted, from the Infectious Disease Response Team.
Key information this week:
- COVID-19 guidance for the start of the semester
- Updated COVID-19 university website
- Information about the monkeypox virus
- Community health status update
COVID-19 guidance for the start of the semester
New students who have not submitted their required vaccination information or exemption request have been contacted by the Office of the Dean of Students and will not be able to move into on-campus housing, attend classes, or participate in campus activities until the information is complete. Students can upload documentation of their booster shots to their Phoenix Health Portal and file new requests for medical or religious exemptions.
We recommend that students and families use an at-home antigen test shortly before returning to campus this week. Students who test positive should not come to campus and should contact quarantine-support@elon.edu for guidance. Staff or faculty who test positive should contact Human Resources at 336-278-5560 or HREmployeeCovid@elon.edu for guidance.
The university continues to have a mask optional policy for campus. Normal seating configurations will be used for New Student Convocation this Saturday and for all indoor and outdoor new Student and Family Orientation activities; people with health concerns may wish to wear a mask in these venues.
Please keep a well-fitting N95 or KN95 mask with you for situations when extra protection is needed or if you are not feeling well. Always be respectful of those who choose to wear masks to protect themselves or others.
Masks are still required for:
- Everyone in Student Health Services, the asymptomatic testing center at McCoy Commons, the Faculty/Staff Health & Wellness Clinic, and the School of Health Sciences medical outreach programs
- Anyone experiencing COVID-like symptoms or any other respiratory illness
- Five additional days after completion of an isolation period after a positive test
- Ten days for close contacts of an individual with a positive diagnosis
Asymptomatic COVID-19 testing will continue to be available in McCoy Commons 207 (Oaks Neighborhood) throughout the fall semester. The testing schedule for this week will be:
Wednesday, August 17: 1 – 4 p.m.
Thursday, August 18: 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
The regular fall testing schedule will resume next Monday, August 22:
Monday – Thursday: 9 a.m. – noon and 1 – 4 p.m.
Friday: 9 a.m. – noon
Sick visits, including diagnostic testing for those with COVID-19 symptoms, are available for students by appointment at Student Health Services and for staff and faculty by appointment at the Faculty/Staff Health & Wellness Clinic.
Other testing options include at-home test kits from the federal government, purchasing home tests at local pharmacies or stores, or utilizing local testing sites.
Updated COVID-19 university website
The Elon COVID-19 webpage has been updated for the fall semester and includes information about vaccines, testing, masking, and quarantine/isolation. The site will also be a resource for regular information about the status of COVID-19 cases and testing on campus and in the local community.
The protocols for close contacts of someone who has tested positive have been updated to reflect the CDC’s updated guidance released last Thursday, August 11. Please carefully review the protocols for individuals who test positive, as well as those for roommates and other close contacts.
Information about the monkeypox virus
On Monday, August 15, the Infectious Disease Response Team sent an informational email to the campus community about the monkeypox virus. Visit the Elon monkeypox webpage for updated information about monkeypox, including symptoms, testing, treatment, and steps you can take to prevent contracting monkeypox. We continue to work with local and state health officials to monitor the monkeypox outbreak and to prepare the university community to respond as needed.
Community health status update
The university COVID-19 webpage has information about the status of COVID-19 case reporting and on-campus testing. The information will be updated each Tuesday afternoon by 4 p.m.
The site also includes the link to the latest information about the CDC COVID-19 community levels, which are currently at high in Guilford County and medium in Alamance County.
We look forward to a healthy and safe start to the academic year! The next Community Health Update is scheduled for next Wednesday, August 24, by 10:45 a.m.
—
Jon Dooley, Ph.D.
Vice President for Student Life