COVID Weekly Update
Posted June 4, 2021
June 4, 2021
Dear Campus Community,
Happy June and welcome to the first five-week term of Summer Session. We hope classes and activities are off to a positive start! We wanted to close this week with general reminders related to COVID-19 guidelines and testing.
Face Mask/Distancing Guidelines
SIUE face covering and distancing guidelines are available online. Event and meeting organizers should review SIUE face covering and distancing guidelines with participants in advance of the start of the meetings and events. All individuals, regardless of vaccination status, should have a mask readily available.
Travel Guidelines
As summer travel opportunities become more abundant, please refer to this Updated Travel Guidance announcement for direction related to international and domestic travel. The latest guidance differentiates travel requirements for unvaccinated individuals and those who are fully vaccinated.
Summer and Fall Events Update
SIUE department and student organization-sponsored events hosted both on-campus and off-campus, and events hosted on-campus by external clients are expected to have an approved event safety plan on file. External clients are permitted to reserve facilities both indoors and outdoors. Capacity restrictions are based upon current Bridge to Phase 5 guidelines.
Attendance lists still need to be submitted following the event. Visit the SIUE COVID-19 website for more information about event safety guidelines, attendance list submissions and contactless check-in tools.
Testing
During summer, testing will be conducted on the Edwardsville campus Monday-Wednesday, School of Dental Medicine on Monday and at The East St. Louis campus on Tuesday.
Individuals who would like to participate in COVID testing are required to register with SHIELD Illinois to make an appointment.
Visit https://forms.office.com/r/QvChjQs6tb, to create an account and obtain an appointment. No insurance is required, and testing is free. The surveillance screening tests are on a voluntary basis. If you have already been vaccinated or are in the process of completing your vaccine, testing is permitted.
Surveillance testing continues on all three campuses with 81 tested this week. With 0 positive tests, we had a positivity rate of 0%. More information can be found on the dashboard. Surveillance screening tests are on a voluntary basis. However, to encourage participation, employees and students are selected through a random sample and invited to be tested. Those invited next week will be provided with the following incentives to participate:
- Students
- $5 in Cougar Bucks
- Monthly raffle for parking hangtag FY22
- Faculty/Staff
- One beverage or bakery item (not to exceed $5) at the MUC Starbucks
- Monthly raffle for parking hangtag FY22
Individuals do not need to be invited to be tested. However, they will not be eligible for the incentives listed above.
Here are a few tips to get you in and out as efficiently as possible:
- Appointments should be obtained at https://forms.office.com/r/QvChjQs6tb
- Be sure that you are hydrated before your appointment by eating or drinking up to 60 minutes prior to your arrival at the testing site. Do not eat or drink in the 60 minutes prior to testing.
- Arrive at your appointment time, so that we may maintain small groups in the testing area.
Per CDC/IDPH guidelines, if you are experiencing symptoms or believe you are a close contact to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, do not participate in this surveillance testing. Employees and students who tested positive within the last 90 days should not test.
Finally, remember if you are feeling ill, don’t come to campus. If you are under quarantine or isolation, do not leave it early.
As always, we are proud to serve alongside you. Wishing you a wonderful, safe summer!
Randy Pembrook, Chancellor
Denise Cobb, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
Jessica Harris, Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Rachel Stack, Vice Chancellor for Advancement
Morris Taylor, Vice Chancellor for Administration
Jeffrey Waple, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs
