Dear UMW Community,
This week the COVID-19 community level is low, as reported on the CDC tracker. Based on this level of transmission, the CDC’s recommended action is to “stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines. Get tested if you have symptoms. Wear a mask if you have symptoms, a positive test, or exposure to someone with COVID-19, and wear a mask on public transportation. You may choose to wear a mask at any time as an additional precaution to protect yourself and others.”
UMW continues to evaluate the COVID-19 pandemic in accordance with public health guidance and will provide updates to the campus community when there are significant updates from the CDC or an increase in our community levels. We are also monitoring the latest data and information about the spread of monkeypox. The CDC and Virginia Department of Health offer informational resources on this new illness and the best ways to protect yourself and others.
Please stay home if you are sick. If you aren’t feeling well, whether or not you think it’s COVID, please avoid contact with other people. Get rest, drink plenty of fluids and seek medical attention as needed. Let your professors or supervisors know why you are missing class or work. You’ll need to work with your course faculty to make up missed assignments or make alternate arrangements when you miss class due to illness. If you test positive for COVID-19, please review the isolation guidance to implement your plan and pack for the isolation period if you are a residential student.
If you need additional masks or self-tests for COVID, both items are available to pick up on campus. While masks are no longer required anywhere on UMW property, except healthcare settings (Student Health Center, Talley Center for Counseling Services, Athletic Training room), masks are recommended when in close proximity of others for a prolonged period of time, particularly indoors, as recommended by the CDC, particularly when the community level is medium or high.
Frequently asked questions are answered online and via these updates, and you can notify us of a positive case via a self-report. A member of our Public Health team will contact you and provide guidance on isolation and notifying close contacts of the exposure. Note the response may be delayed outside of business hours.
We hope you have a wonderful Labor Day weekend and consider any personal precautions you might need to stay healthy.
Sincerely,
UMW’s Public Health Advisory Working Group