COVID-19 Information

January 8, 2020

Dear Campus Community, 

Welcome back! We hope your break was safe and satisfying even though they never seem long enough!

As we prepare to welcome students for the spring 2021 semester, remember that SIUE continues to be in Limited Campus Operations Mode in response to the implementation of Restore Illinois Tier 3 Mitigations for Region 4. More information can be found at siue.edu/about/announcements/coronavirus.

Please note that the University’s COVID-19 website has been updated to provide easier navigation and access to up-to-date information. Please check individual department websites for the most current information. 

Below is information to keep you informed about campus activities:

Current Testing and Dashboard 

Thank you to the more than 2,600 faculty, staff and employees that tested this week as part of the re-entry testing process. To date we have received 1,876 results from the lab. SIUE is sitting at 0.11 positivity rate with 16 individuals, from 3 campuses, that have been identified as positive. It truly shows our cougar commitment.

For those that still need to test, here are a few tips to get you in and out as efficiently as possible:

• Do not eat or drink for 30 minutes prior to your arrival at the testing site​. However, make sure you are hydrated before your appointment.
• Arrive at your appointment time, so that we may maintain small groups in the testing area.
• Students need to be enrolled to receive a testing account. An email will be sent the morning after your enrollment is processed to explain the registration process.
• ​You are only required to take one re-entry test.

Test results notification will be delivered by email or push notification in the app within 72 hours. Currently, we are averaging 65.4 hours. We are aware that a few results have been outside of the 72-hour time frame and are working with Gx to improve their turnaround time. 

As positive tests come back, they are being assigned to newly hired SIUE Contact Tracers.

Quarantine Info Update

SIUE has amended its quarantine protocol to include the two acceptable alternatives to shorten the quarantine time period. On Dec. 17, 2021, IDPH guidance related to quarantine was updated as follows:  

The CDC currently recommends a quarantine period of 14 days. Further, local public health authorities determine and establish quarantine options for their jurisdictions and may decide to continue using a 14-day period and/or shortened options for certain lower risk close contacts. 

However, the following options to shorten quarantine are acceptable alternatives: Quarantine can end after Day 10 without testing and if no symptoms have been reported during any day of the daily monitoring period. With this strategy, residual post-quarantine transmission risk is estimated to be about 1% with an upper limit of about 10%. 

Quarantine can end after Day 7 if a RT (Reverse Transcriptase)-PCR test is negative and if no symptoms were reported during any day of the daily monitoring period. The earliest a specimen may be collected and tested would be on Day 6 with quarantine being discontinued no earlier than Day 8. With this strategy, the residual post-quarantine transmission risk is estimated to be about 5% with an upper limit of about 12%.  This option is not recommended for children in daycares or K-12 schools. 

Madison County Testing Site

Madison County Health Department and Illinois Department of Public Health will be hosting a COVID Testing Site at SIUE in Lot B on Saturday, Jan. from 8 a.m.-4 p.m.  Using this testing site will not meet the obligation for testing through the SIUE re-entry process.

Vaccination Update

SIUE Health Service has developed a close relationship with the Madison County Health Department (MCHD), which has been instrumental in our efforts to provide COVID-19 vaccinations for our faculty, staff and students.

As Health Service prepares to be a Closed Pod exclusively for the SIUE campus community, we will adhere to the vaccine implementation guidelines. SIUE Health Service clinical staff, along with Allied Health faculty, staff and students are in the process of receiving their vaccines now.

As a recognized closed pod, SIUE Health Service will be preparing for the next tier of vaccinations. We envision these clinics to occur during the next several weeks and months. Vaccine announcements will be directed to specific populations initially. Vaccine clinics will include scheduled appointments. As vaccine availability increases, the goal is for everyone to be able to easily receive a COVID-19 vaccination as soon as possible.

SIUE School of Nursing and School of Pharmacy have partnered with HSHS hospital system along with several of their clinical sites for vaccine access for faculty, staff and students. Allied Health will also be included in the SIUE Health Service clinics. 

Spring Semester Town Hall Schedules

Please join us Friday, Jan. 15 at 8:30 a.m. for our second Spring Semester Town Hall live webinar to learn more about what you can expect for Spring Semester 2021. Representatives from across campus will present the most up-to-date information regarding COVID-related plans and operations.  There will be time for Q&A. Questions can be submitted in advance at chancellor@siue.edu.

Registration is required for the webinar. Once you’ve registered, you will receive a confirmation email with your unique webinar link. Please do not forward or share the link you receive. 

If you need assistance accessing the webinar, please contact the ITS Help Desk at 618-650-5500.   

Additional spring semester webinars are scheduled for:

Wednesday, Feb. 17 at 8:30 a.m.

Friday, March 19 at 8:30 a.m.

Friday, April 23 at 8:30 a.m.

Finally, remember if you are feeling ill, don’t come to campus. If you are under quarantine or isolation, do not leave it early.

Please continue to practice grace with one another and with yourselves. We are proud to serve with you.

Best wishes for the weekend,

Randy Pembrook, Chancellor   
Denise Cobb, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs   
Rachel Stack, Vice Chancellor for Advancement   
Morris Taylor, Vice Chancellor for Administration   
Jeffrey Waple, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs