Click here for all COVID-19, Coronavirus updates.
Here is this week’s update regarding our ongoing College-wide efforts to safeguard the health of our community. Please note important news regarding vaccinations and ongoing testing clinics.
Vaccinations
We are pleased to announce that there have been several developments regarding vaccination prioritization. Here are the highlights of the developments that are pertinent to our community:
All frontline essential workers in Group 3 are now eligible for vaccinations. This group includes all Guilford faculty and staff. There will be an additional email going out to the faculty and staff about how to obtain a vaccination appointment.
On March 24, the state will also begin vaccinations for those that qualify in Group 4. At the time of this communication, Group 4 is broken into two phases.
Adults at Higher Risk for Exposure and Increased Risk of Severe Illness (Essential Workers Not Yet Vaccinated)
Other People who Live in Group Settings - This population includes students living in residence halls, campus apartments, or other group living settings, who are not already vaccinated due to age, medical condition, or job function. This grouping does not include individuals living off-campus.
On March 10, a federally-supported community vaccination center will open in Greensboro, at the Four Seasons.. This site – one of just 18 sites nationally - will help the state continue its effort to reach more marginalized and underserved communities. The federal government will provide the center’s vaccine supply, which will be in addition to North Carolina’s weekly allotment from the Centers for Disease Control. It will operate seven days a week with the capacity to provide up to 3,000 vaccinations per day, with options for drive-thru service in the parking lot and walk-in service.
UNCG will be opening a Institution of Higher Education vaccination clinic for faculty and staff beginning on March 11. I will receive and communicate more information on how to sign-up for this clinic by Monday, March 8. They are looking for non-clinical volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering you can sign-up at this link.
COVID-19 Testing
We held a testing clinic this week on March 2. Here are the results::
- Total Tests Administered: 265
- Total Positive Tests: 3
- Total Invalid Tests: 0
- Outstanding Tests: 0
- Positive Test Percentage Rate: 1.1%
*If you need to access your individual test results, you can look those up at results.premedinc.com.
Upcoming Testing
We have changed our surveillance COVID testing strategy beginning Tuesday, Feb. 23. Instead of a random sampling each week, we will employ a three-week rotation of community members planning to be on campus. This includes on-campus residents, off-campus students, faculty, staff, and campus contractors. Our community will be broken up into thirds to be rotated through testing. Here is the schedule:
- Cohort 1 - March 16, April 6, April 27
- Cohort 2 - March 23, April 13
- Cohort 3 - March 9, March 30, April 20
We believe this process is more efficient and easier to track than the current testing model. You will receive an email in the next few days with your cohort group. You may also sign up for testing on any other testing day, if you choose.
Testing will now be held in the Community Center (the building between the North and South Apartments).
Important Reminder - Please pre-register before you come to the testing site by texting the word COVID to 704-850-6996 or by going to www.starmed.care and clicking the "Register Now" button. Pre-registration takes about 5 minutes. You will need a photo ID and your medical insurance card to complete the registration. This PCR nasal test is free of charge, covered either by medical insurance or the CARES Act.
Please remain vigilant this next week and do everything you can protect yourself and others while on campus. Please be on the lookout for our next weekly communication on Feb 26. Please remember that if you have any questions related to COVID-19 and our efforts to mitigate the pandemic on campus, please call the COVID-19 Hotline at 336.316.2319. We are all in this together.