JMU Health Update - May 10

JMU News
 

Dear JMU Family,

Update on Cases

The university observed 0 new positive cases of COVID-19 at the University Health Center on Friday and over the weekend. With 0 cases considered “recovered,” the total number of active cases is now at 0.

JMU Summer Operational Plans

These plans will be in place from May 10, 2021 through Aug. 18, 2021.

Please note that guidance for the Fall 2021 semester is forthcoming.

The following plans will guide summer operations at James Madison University. The plans were developed utilizing guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Virginia Department of Health (VDH). These plans may be adjusted as guidance from both the CDC and VDH changes during the summer months.

Communication:

  • We will not update the COVID Stop the Spread Dashboard throughout the summer.
  • We will provide JMU Health Updates to the entire community as necessary.
  • Any questions or concerns can be sent to covid19@jmu.edu.

Symptom Tracking:

  • We will not require members of the community to complete the LiveSafe process before coming to campus each day.
  • We strongly encourage all members of the community to regularly check their symptoms and get tested, either on or off campus, if they have any COVID symptoms.

Testing:

  • The University Health Center will continue to offer testing to the JMU community Monday through Thursday throughout the summer.
  • Tests will be administered by appointment through the UHC website.

Face Masks:

  • Masks are to be worn indoors in all public and classroom settings.
  • Members of the community who are vaccinated do not have to wear masks while outside unless they are in a crowded setting or venue.
  • Mask wearing in offices/meetings:
    • In campus offices that are not open to the public and where all staff members are vaccinated, you can choose not to wear masks while in your office(s) and while interacting with staff members in your office(s).
    • If there are members of your office/meeting who are not vaccinated, or if it cannot be determined if everyone is vaccinated, all staff members and guests should wear masks.
    • All offices that are open to the public should continue to have their employees wear masks at all times, as we do not know the vaccination status of guests arriving at service windows or entering the office.
    • It is not appropriate to ask anyone about their vaccination status to avoid having to wear masks in an office/meeting.

Physical Distancing:

  • All in-person public and classroom settings will have 3 feet of distance between participants not from the same household.
  • All public transportation should utilize 3 feet of distance between passengers.

Orientation:

  • This program will be hosted this summer with both in-person and virtual options for students and their families.
  • All aspects of the program, except for meals, will utilize a 3-feet distance requirement with face mask use expected.

Summer Conferences and Camps:

  • Policies for the summer conference season will follow the current Commonwealth of Virginia Executive Order governing their operations.
    • Current expectations for overnight camps include:
      • Participants providing a negative COVID test to the camp or proof of vaccination – standard is a negative test from within 72 hours of arrival
      • Mask wearing unless eating or in your room
      • Creation of cohorts for larger groups to limit contact with larger numbers of participants
    • Quarantine and isolation processes will be established for all camps.
  • Youth Programs – guidance can be found here

Vaccines:

  • Remain available at local venues

Vaccine Requirement:

  • Certain activities and programs may expect students to have had the vaccine to participate fully. This will be managed and communicated on a case-by-case basis.

Summer Field and On-Campus Research Standard Operating Procedures:

  • Fully vaccinated individuals (defined as two weeks past the last of any required vaccine dose) of the research team may travel together in the same vehicle to field research sites.
  • Fully vaccinated individuals of the research team may conduct field activities at remote, unpopulated outdoor field sites without masks in the presence of other fully vaccinated members of the field team. Masks will be worn when accompanied by others outside of the immediate field team or when the field site is in a populated area.
  • Masks will be worn when in spaces where others whose vaccination status is unknown are present, to include the research lab.

Don’t forget, many of your questions can be answered here. The university will continue to answer pandemic-related questions sent to covid19@jmu.edu.

Vaccination Records
To assist us in reporting our campuswide vaccination rate, we respectfully request that faculty, staff and students send their completed COVID vaccination records to the University Health Center. The easiest way to do so is by scanning or photographing your vaccination card and emailing it to healthctr@jmu.edu. JMU will only use aggregate data to calculate the campuswide vaccination rate and will not share personal, identifiable information. Questions? Contact UHC at 540-568-6249 or healthctr@jmu.edu.

Vaccines are Here

The local Central Shenandoah Health District has moved into Phase 2, which means that vaccines are now available to anyone ages 16 and older.

The Virginia Department of Health website has updated information on available vaccination clinics. If you are in need of either first-dose clinics or second-dose clinics, please register using those links. They will be updated regularly as new clinics become available. Walk-in appointments may be available depending upon vaccine supply.

If you're in the Harrisonburg area, here are two ways to find the vaccine:

If you are in need of a second dose of either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine in another area of the state, VDH has a site for finding a vaccine clinic in Virginia. VaccineFinder is also helpful in locating vaccine clinics both in and outside of Virginia.

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Published: Monday, May 10, 2021

Last Updated: Wednesday, November 1, 2023

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