Weekly COVID Update-October 29, 2021
Fellow Gamecocks,
JSU aspires to continue to operate as close to normal as possible, but with the risk of COVID-19 remaining in our region, we need your help in keeping our campus, students, peers, friends, families, faculty and staff safe.
One major way to protect our community is to be vaccinated. On Thursday, November 4, JSU will host our final scheduled community COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic for 2021 with vaccinations available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Kennamer Hall. Moderna vaccines, including the third dose or booster doses, will be available to students, staff, faculty, and community members from the region who qualify.
This is your last on-campus clinic opportunity to begin your vaccines or to get your second dose or booster before visiting with family and friends over the holidays, so register now. The RMC/JSU Health Center will continue to offer vaccine doses each Tuesday and Thursday afternoon by appointment, which can be scheduled by calling 256-782-5310. Please share next week’s vaccination clinic with others throughout the region.
In the event that you test positive, please complete the Self Reporting Form on the COVID-19 website. This allows for the COVID Task Force to connect you with a contact tracer, who can check on you, help you to identify and contact those deemed as exposures, connect you with campus resources like food and isolation space, and answer any questions you may have.
If you are exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19, please email your exposure information to covidquestions@jsu.edu. Our team will communicate with you to conduct an interview, help you determine your return to activities date and answer your questions. Faculty and supervisors can request excuses issued by our Task Force before students and employees return to campus.
Our contact tracers are individuals who are personally concerned for the health and well-being of our students, our faculty, our staff and our communities. They want to see everyone experience a safe and healthy return to campus. It is the student, staff and faculty's responsibility to adhere to the protocols in place to protect our campus to the best of their abilities and to allow our team to better serve them and their needs.
As many Halloween events and fall festivals occur this week, please practice good COVID safety measures. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offer the following Holiday Tips:
- Wear a mask in public indoor settings in communities with substantial to high transmission
- Avoid crowded, poorly ventilated spaces
- If you are sick or have symptoms, don’t host or attend a gathering
- If you have symptoms of COVID-19 or have close contact with someone who has COVID-19, get tested.
- Outdoor events are safer than those held indoors.
Be smart, stay safe and let us know if we can be of assistance.
In Service,
Michael S. Barton
Director of Public Safety & COVID-19 Task Force Leader