Dear Campus Community,
We have one active case reported this week, a holdover from last week. So, there are no new reported cases, which is good, but we know that COVID is still on our campus.
You have probably heard by now that the campus mask policy was extended through the end of the semester. The decision was influenced by state and local case count trends, which halted their downward trend in the last few weeks, but also because our verification effort did not show the vaccinated percentages we were hoping to see. That’s a bit disappointing to see, but we think that it was probably the best decision for our campus.
The policy remains:
- Masks are required inside all campus buildings, regardless of an individual’s vaccination status.
- The only exceptions are for dining and when in a personal residence hall room or office.
This does include evenings and weekends. Although you can be unmasked in your personal office when you are alone, you should wear a mask when others are in the enclosed space with you.
We are hearing cases where the mask policy isn’t being followed, and we really want to encourage you to mask, especially in classrooms. Classrooms are a place where students are present for an extended period in close proximity. While campus ventilation is generally good, wearing masks as that extra layer of “Swiss cheese” really can make a difference in cases spreading, even among those who are vaccinated.
If you do see a class or an office that isn’t following the procedures, please do say something, either to the actual people without a mask, or to the appropriate chair, director, or dean. No one wants to be the tattletale, but we know that our relatively low numbers are due to our good compliance.
We do want to remind you that there are many vaccination options in the community right now, and while you probably can’t be fully vaxxed before leaving for Thanksgiving, the partial immunity of the first shot will still help if you get it soon.
More generally, as you are considering your Thanksgiving plans, please do try to avoid being in enclosed spaces with unvaccinated, unmasked individuals for extended periods of time. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what Thanksgiving means to many of us, so do encourage your family and friends to also consider being vaccinated before the holidays.
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Although we aim these updates at our faculty and the campus community, 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 their COVID Blackboard page, sent directly to all Truman faculty and staff, and shared on our public web page here:
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
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| Active Cases in Isolation |
Recovered Cases |
Recovered Cases |
||
| Week | Student | Fac/Staff | Fall 2021 | Total |
| Aug 24 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 525 |
| Aug 31 | 21 | 0 | 8 | 533 |
| Sep 7 | 13 | 1 | 23 | 548 |
| Sep 14 | 9 | 0 | 33 | 558 |
| Sep 21 | 3 | 0 | 42 | 567 |
| Sep 28 | 1 | 0 | 46 | 571 |
| Oct 5 | 5 | 0 | 46 | 571 |
| Oct 12 | 3 | 0 | 51 | 576 |
| Oct 19 | 0 | 0 | 54 | 579 |
| Oct 26 | 0 | 0 | 54 | 579 |
| Nov 2 | 3 | 0 | 54 | 579 |
| Nov 2 | 1 | 0 | 56 | 581 |
Related Links:
Faculty Senate COVID-19 Working Group Videos and Emails
All COVID-19 Campus Communications
Coronavirus Updates and Resources Website