ETSU COVID Response: New CDC Guidelines

From East Tennessee State University:

A memo sent to campus on Wednesday, July 28, 2021 regarding the new CDC COVID-19 recommendations that were released on Tuesday, July 27, 2021:

Dear ETSU community,

Yesterday afternoon, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced new recommendations regarding face coverings for fully-vaccinated individuals. This guidance comes in the wake of growing concerns over the Delta variant of COVID-19 and declining vaccine uptake rates.

In accordance with these new CDC guidelines, ETSU encourages the use of face coverings indoors for everyone during this period of “substantial transmission.” While wearing face coverings on campus is not required, we encourage the ETSU community to follow the CDC recommendations during this period of widespread distribution of the Delta variant across our region.

Our campus has greatly benefitted from a return to normalcy over the past few months. We can continue interactions and in-person activities while also being good neighbors to one another and reinforcing safe practices to prevent further spread of COVID-19. Increased cleaning and disinfecting measures continue in high traffic areas across campus and signs posted in public spaces continue to encourage healthy habits, such as handwashing, to avoid the spread of COVID-19 and other viruses.

As noted throughout the spring by the leadership team of ETSU Health, COVID-19 vaccinations are the best way to prevent illness. The current vaccines are overwhelmingly safe, and prevent almost all severe symptoms of the virus. ETSU strongly encourages all students, faculty, and staff who have not been vaccinated to schedule an appointment as soon as possible to receive the vaccine. Our partners at ETSU Health continue to host free vaccine clinics, and COVID-19 testing is available at ETSU Health clinics and the University Health Center. More information about free vaccination opportunities is available at Vaccines.gov or through our partners at Ballad Health.

Please visit our Bucs Are Back website and the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document for more information about Stage 4 operations. As it has been for the past 18 months, this remains a fluid situation. We will monitor information as it becomes available and will keep our campus updated on any changes. Thank you for all you do to support ETSU and to protect the health and well-being of those in our campus community.

Sincerely,

Dr. Brian Noland
President

Dr. Bill Block
Vice President for Clinical Affairs
Dean of Quillen College of Medicine

This press release was produced by East Tennessee State University. The views expressed are the author's own.