JMU Health Update - Oct. 27

Dear JMU Family,

Free COVID-19 Testing for All Tomorrow
Students, faculty, staff and community members are encouraged to visit University Park from 2 to 7 p.m. tomorrow for free COVID-19 drive-through testing. A total of 1,000 tests will be available to anyone, regardless of whether they have symptoms or known close contacts. The tests are self-collected and non-invasive. More details can be found here. You may preregister here. To create an account, click on the “Register or Logon” button, then click “Start Assessment” to answer a few questions before making your appointment. You can also register on-site, and limited walk-up testing is also available.

Pre- and Post-Election Programming
The civic health of our community is coming into critical focus as the nation draws nearer to Election Day. Adding to the stress already caused by the pandemic, the partisan rancor surrounding local, state and national campaigns can negatively affect our mental, civic and even our physical health. Just like the many measures the university has taken in response to the pandemic, programming by The James Madison Center for Civic Engagement exists to help you understand and deal with everything coming at you before and, inevitably, after the 2020 elections.

• Check out the latest Democracy Matters podcast episode featuring the commissioner of the Virginia Department of Elections. Links at the bottom of the episode page allow you to check your registration and to track absentee ballots.
• No matter what the outcome, many people will have questions post-election. Resources including a Guide to Facilitating Election Conversations and information on panel discussions after Nov. 3 can be found here.

Update on Cases
The university observed 0 new positive cases of COVID-19 at the Health Center yesterday, as well as 0 self-reported cases, with 3 students becoming considered “recovered,” meaning they were diagnosed as positive more than 10 days ago and are no longer infectious. The number of active cases is at 18. The number of open quarantine and isolation beds is at 466 out of 477. One employee reported a positive test off campus. More information can be found on the university’s Stop the Spread dashboard. While our situation continues to improve, individuals must continue to follow public health guidance by wearing masks, maintaining physical distance and washing hands frequently. 

Stop the Spread HELPline
If students and their families have questions and can’t readily find the answers in our FAQs, call the Stop the Spread HELPline, which is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The toll-free number is 888-886-3131. And don’t forget, many of your questions can be answered here. Call center agents also will be answering questions sent to covid19@jmu.edu, and you can submit questions via a form on the Stop the Spread site. Please note, the HELPline is not for reporting noncompliance with health guidance and the Stop the Spread Agreement signed by all students. Please use the LiveSafe app, which goes directly to the JMU Public Safety dispatch.

Stay safe, and please remember that the only vaccine currently available for COVID-19 is solidarity. And download the COVIDWISE app!