Dear Truman Community,
We have no active cases right now. Zero is the only good number of cases to have.
We ask that you continue washing hands, wearing masks, and keeping distance, to help keep it low through the end of the semester.
Vaccines are now open to everyone and easy to get at multiple locations in town.
As we said last week, having a “new normal” in the fall depends on a high level of vaccination among our campus community.
Early evidence shows good turnout for vaccines among our students, staff, and faculty, but please do continue encouraging your students and colleagues to get the vaccine. So good, in fact, that we are not planning any more vaccine clinics on campus, but instead working to help those interested to get to the local distribution sites.
A reminder that you should not ask students (or anyone) about their vaccination status, in class (or elsewhere).
Vaccine status is health data, and as a campus, we value each other’s privacy.
You certainly can share vaccine locations, or can help anyone who needs help registering or completing the paperwork.
The county health board has voted to lift the mask mandate for the county as of May 1st.
Some of us had suggested they wait until May 15th, to allow space for the travel that occurs in and out of campus over finals and commencement, but they went with the earlier date. We do still recommend that you wear your mask while off-campus, even without the mandate, and to be mindful of crowds and close contact as fewer people are wearing masks in public.
Of course, our campus is keeping our mandate in place, so please do continue our excellent record on campus.
Our nine-and-a-half minute video walks through these items, as well as a discussion about the national “pause” in administration of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine.
https://zoom.us/rec/share/cte27FGll7zkexSQ23-I3d9z83wgx4zXoKl0w8vMjrGy4eMJ1C8r-G1RceiAO-MB.GOUmvA6KMGIow6G5
==
Locations for where to get a vaccine are on the student Blackboard COVID portal, and also posted here:
https://www.truman.edu/coronavirus/
Although we aim these e-mails and videos at Truman faculty and staff, please do share this information or the video with students in your classes, with parents, and elsewhere. This information is shared with all students via Blackboard page, sent directly to all Truman faculty and staff, and shared on our public web page:
https://www.truman.edu/coronavirus/covid-19-working-group-videos/
If you have questions or topics you’d like to know more about, please contact us at: ndmoore@truman.edu
-Faculty Senate COVID-19 Working Group
Nancy Daley-Moore, PhD, Health Science
Christine Harker, PhD, English
Scott Alberts, PhD, Statistics
