Dear Loyola Community,

The fall semester is quickly approaching. However, the highly contagious Delta variant is also quickly spreading across the country. This is serious, Wolf Pack. Even as we see a surge in coronavirus cases, by taking action now, we will be ready for a safe start to the fall semester in August.

Here's What We Know

The Delta variant is significantly more contagious than previous strains of the virus.

This week, the Louisiana Department of Health reported a 979% increase in weekly case counts in the state compared to one month ago, with the biggest surge in cases among 18 – 29-year-olds. Hospitals are reaching capacity and cases in New Orleans are increasing exponentially.

Delta is now the dominant strain of the virus in the U.S. and is primarily spreading among the unvaccinated.

According to the CDC, 97% of patients hospitalized from COVID are unvaccinated and 99% of all COVID deaths reported have been unvaccinated individuals.

Vaccines are effective at preventing serious illness or death from Delta and other variants.

As numbers spike, scientists expect to see more breakthrough cases of coronavirus among the vaccinated, but they are likely to be mild and less transmissible. In other words, the vaccines are doing their job and keeping us safe.

Here’s How to Take Action

We need to get vaccinated. Loyola requires every student who will spend any amount of time on campus to be vaccinated or apply for an exemption. Loyola also requires faculty and staff to report their COVID vaccination status.

It is not too late to get vaccinated—and we strongly urge you to do so as soon as possible.

Please use our resources to find a vaccination site near you and make sure your updated vaccination records are submitted on the COVID Vaccine Portal. If you have any questions, please review our FAQs or email covid@loyno.edu.

We need to mask up. Following the city’s mask advisory and in parallel with other local universities, Loyola currently requires everyone, regardless of vaccination status, to wear a mask indoors on campus when around others outside your household. We recommend you wear a mask when you’re in public indoor spaces off campus, too.

If you're fully vaccinated, the latest guidance from the CDC recommends that you wear a mask indoors in public if:

You are in an area of substantial or high transmission (including all of Louisiana right now)
You live with someone who is unvaccinated
You or someone in your household has a weakened immune system or is at increased risk for severe disease

We need to limit our risks. As we prepare to come back together as a campus community, we’re counting on you to choose safer activities in the weeks leading up to the start of the semester. Avoid crowded indoor spaces, limit the number of people you’re around outside of your household, and maintain social distancing to reduce your exposure.

According to the CDC, you are less likely to be exposed to COVID-19 when you:

Attend outdoor activities instead of indoor options
Stay at least 6 feet apart from others
Limit the amount of time spent with people who don’t live with you

Delta Testing Recommendations

In light of sharply increasing COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations throughout Louisiana, we are following current protocols for testing and exposure outlined by the Louisiana Department of Health.

All unvaccinated and vaccinated individuals should take a COVID test immediately after a known or suspected exposure to COVID-19.
- If you test positive, you should isolate immediately.
- If you test negative, you should retest again between five and seven days post-exposure.
- If you develop symptoms of COVID-19 at any point, you should test and immediately isolate pending the results.
Anyone with symptoms of COVID-19, even those who are fully vaccinated or without a known exposure, should get tested.

If any of the above are true, please email our Public Health Team immediately at covid@loyno.edu and include a phone number where you can be reached.

Testing Support

You can use the Ochsner Anywhere Care app to consult with a healthcare provider about your symptoms, available for free 24/7 to the Loyola community.
Community testing sites are available in New Orleans and at healthcare centers across the United States.
Testing is available at the Student Health Clinic by appointment on Wednesdays only, 8:30 a.m. – 4:45 p.m. during the summer. Please call 504.865.3326 to make an appointment. Normal business hours resume on August 16.

COVID Connections is a round-up of important information to help keep everyone in our campus community informed and safe. It arrives in your inbox every Tuesday, with special editions on other days if needed. Explore our archive on the FAQ website to see previous editions.

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