| Dear Red Wolves:
Welcome back to campus for the spring 2022 semester at Arkansas State University. I want to send some reminders and recommendations to all as a follow up to my Dec. 31 email to campus.
Our state and our region are experiencing increased cases of COVID, and unlike last year, it is a more contagious variant. Our combined effort last year limited the spread through social distancing, masking, and vaccinations. Toward the close of the fall 2021 semester, we know that compliance waned along with our on-campus total COVID active cases. To begin our spring 2022, we must return to a more rigorous compliance.
Let's be aware that omicron is spread far easier than previous variants, but thus far, thankfully, has been less severe for the most. Yes, we are seeing individuals who are fully vaccinated (two doses of Pfizer or Moderna; one dose of J&J) and up-to-date (received an additional booster shot) contract COVID. By the way, these are new terms the CDC has adopted recently to describe individual vaccination status.
At the same time we are seeing fully vaccinated and up-to-date individuals with positive COVID results, we are also assured by the Arkansas Department of Health, the CDC, and our local physicians, hospitals, and colleagues at the NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine, that being fully vaccinated and up-to-date is important to that less severe outcome. If you have not begun or completed your series, there are numerous local locations where you can receive your vaccinations free. Here is a link from the ADH to help you locate a local provider for your vaccinations.
Related to what happens when you are positive or you have been exposed to a positive individual, the CDC recently announced new guidelines for the general public, for K-12 schools, and other specialized settings like health care. The guidance for the general public and other business settings have introduced new instructions. We are awaiting new guidelines that may be specifically for higher education soon. The need to isolate after a positive COVID test and for how long, and how long quarantine lasts for those exposed to positive cases, remains dependent on individual circumstances.
Later this month, we understand the state will no longer provide contact tracing for the general public.
For all these reasons, it is more important than ever to report your status to our campus Medical Emergency Response Team (MERT) through our COVID-19 Self Reporting Form at AState.edu/COVIDSelfReport. To help limit spread among our campus community, we need to know your status – including if you have used a home test and it was positive.
As noted in the Dec. 31 email, we will begin on campus and in classrooms on Tuesday, Jan. 11. The FAQs (Faculty / Staff) for instructors and classrooms, and for university housing, that we adopted for fall 2021 will continue to be applied for the first part of spring 2022.
For our on-campus offices, if you need additional disposable masks or cleaning supplies, please contact the clerks in Facilities Management at (870) 972-2067 or by email to Callie Williams. Remember, frequent and vigorous hand washing, use of hand sanitizer, avoiding touching eyes or nose, and the use of masks are important tools to combat any virus from COVID to traditional influenza.
The CDC has recently added to its mask guidance by noting that single-ply cloth masks are not as effective as once believed. Using a disposable surgical-style mask, a multi-layer cloth mask (frequently and appropriately cleaned), or medical-care styled “95” masks (N-95 or KN-95) are more effective than simple single-ply gaiters, bandanas or scarves.
In closing, I want to thank each of you for your efforts and your patience the past two years. Throughout our holiday break, our Emergency Operations Committee has kept me informed, and they continue to assist me in keeping an eye on the situation. Let me assure you we continue to monitor a wide range of factors, including local hospitalization rates, to guide our decisions.
We have come this far through this pandemic by working together, and I am asking everyone to continue in that spirit of cooperation. At the same time, I understand the on-going pandemic is wearing on everyone. Please reach out, if you have concerns or questions, to PackSupport@AState.edu. Our Pack Support team will direct you to resources that can help. Pack Support is for all – students, faculty, and staff – but if employees have specific questions that might be Human Resources-related, they can go direct to them at HR@AState.edu.
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| #MaskUp & #WolvesUp,
Kelly
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