JMU Health Update - Dec. 14

Dear JMU Family,

Testing Before the Semester Ends - Please Note Weather-Related Changes

• Warren Hall, TODAY, Dec. 14, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., FREE. Walk-ups will be accepted, and all appointments made through yesterday will be honored. Please complete these forms and bring them with you to your appointment. You will also need your JACard.
• UPARK testing scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 16, from 2 to 6 p.m. has been moved to Tuesday, Dec. 15, due to snow in the forecast. If you signed up for Wednesday, there is no need to cancel or reschedule. Additional communication will be sent if Tuesday’s testing is impacted by the weather. This testing is now full, so no new appointments or walk-ins will be available.
• UHC has limited appointments available. Call 540-568-6178 to speak with a nurse.
• Friday, Dec. 18, from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m., Rockingham Park at the Crossroads, 1 Rockingham Park Lane, Penn Laird, Virginia. Registration is required. Call 540-574-5102. Available only for those with COVID-19 symptoms or who have had close contact with a person having a known COVID-19 case.
• For other testing opportunities, use this link to find a testing site in Virginia.

Remember that testing is only accurate for the time that it is administered, and results are usually returned in 2 to 5 days. Consider getting tested a week after returning home to help identify any exposure or illness you may have picked up while traveling. Minimize interactions with others by spending short periods of time with smaller groups of people, outside if possible, and avoiding long, indoor gatherings. These recommendations are important all of the time, but especially if you will be seeing older relatives or family members with underlying medical conditions.

Update on Cases
Since Dec. 11, the university observed 5 new positive student cases of COVID-19 at the Health Center, 1 self-reported student case, 1 employee who tested positive at the UHC and 3 employees who self-reported testing positive, putting the number of active cases at 24. The number of open quarantine and isolation beds is at 441 out of 443. 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
Due to greatly reduced call volume, the HELPline is closed for the semester. If students and their families have questions and can’t readily find the answers in our FAQs, Stop the Spread HELPline call center agents will be answering questions sent to covid19@jmu.edu, and you can submit questions via a form on the Stop the Spread site. The HELPline could be reopened if conditions warrant it. 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!