App Strong. App Resilient.

The university remains open, with emergency management protocols activated and operational modifications and precautions in place. Please be sure to carefully and regularly review messages from App State as the university continues to carefully monitor and respond to the latest COVID-19 circumstances. 

North Carolina’s COVID-19 cases and related trends continue to decrease and stabilize, and vaccinations are being more widely distributed across the state. Even as restrictions ease, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) encourages continued vigilance — get a COVID-19 vaccine, avoid crowds and continue following the 3Ws (Wear, Wait, Wash) to protect yourself and others.

Wearing a face covering is one of the most effective tools to decrease the spread of COVID-19, and Gov. Cooper’s face coverings executive order remains in effect — review face coverings guidance and information from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) here.

COVID-19 Vaccines Update

COVID-19 vaccine clinics at App State

This week, App State held its first two vaccine clinics. Chancellor Everts’ March 12 message to campus shared that the university vaccinated 680 eligible individuals, as well as other information about the vaccine clinics.

• As a reminder, you have a spot to take your shot! App State is following the state’s prioritization system — you will receive an email from the university when it is time for you to schedule your vaccine appointment.

• NCDHHS strongly recommends getting vaccinated at your first available opportunity, and shares that all available vaccines are highly effective in preventing COVID-19-related hospitalizations and deaths.

• Visit the university's COVID-19 Vaccines page to view additional local vaccine providers and distribution centers and learn more about COVID-19 vaccines and related resources. 

North Carolina COVID-19 vaccines timeline update

North Carolina is currently vaccinating Groups 1, 2 and 3.

• Group 4 will gradually be eligible to be vaccinated beginning March 17, starting with individuals at higher risk from COVID-19 due to underlying medical conditions, as well as those in certain congregate-living settings.

• Phase two of Group 4 begins April 7 and includes university personnel who are not prioritized into other groups and students living in residence halls who are not prioritized into other groups. Review NCDHHS’ Group 4 Deeper Dive.

Guidance for fully vaccinated individuals

The CDC says that COVID-19 vaccination is an important tool to help us stop the pandemic — learn more about the benefits of getting vaccinated and review the CDC’s new guidance for when you’ve been fully vaccinated.

The following guidance remains in effect for fully vaccinated individuals, as well as anyone who is unvaccinated:

• Continue following the 3Ws (Wear, Wait, Wash) and avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated spaces. In particular, continue wearing face coverings when on campus and following personal safety protocols.

• Quarantine and/or get tested for COVID-19 if you have symptoms after a known exposure.

Student Resources and Activities

Resources for students

To address isolation, loss, lack of motivation and other feelings due to the presence of COVID-19, remember your campus mental health and wellness resources:

• App State’s Resiliency Toolkit offers helpful information, including methods for managing stress, tips for staying active and how to create a pandemic pod, emotional regulation, ways to resolve conflict and more.

• The Counseling Center offers short-term individual counseling, group counseling, emergency services and more — all through TeleHealth. Begin by visiting its Get Started page or its Self-Help page. 

• The Counseling Center also offers a variety of free, virtual workshops — for example, Art for Anxiety on March 15 at 5:30 p.m., an experiential workshop to explore how art-making can support you in relaxing, staying in the present moment, and expressing yourself — registration required, bring paper and writing/drawing materials.

• Wellness and Prevention Services offers virtual events, peer education, addiction recovery, weekly motivation messages and more — view all Wellness and Prevention Services events.

Please reach out if you need assistance. There are many people at the university who are here to help you. If you aren’t sure who can help you, here’s where you can start:

 Academic Affairs • Office of the Dean of Students • Mountaineer Emergency Fund • Mountaineer Food Hub & Free Store • Resources for students • Department directory

Stay engaged, stay safe!

App State offers events and activities to help students stay engaged while staying safe. Highlights include:

NEW at University Recreation (UREC)
Beginning in April, UREC will offer outdoor activities — face coverings must be worn at all times. 

• Outdoor trips, including climbing and canoeing — register now.
• Outdoor cycling — registration coming soon.
• Outdoor sports, including soccer, flag football, and kickball — register now.

Visit UREC’s COVID-19 Updates web page for details and reservation instructions and download the UREC app for scheduling, real-time updates and communication.

APPS Front Desk Concert: Mexican Hot Chocolate
March 12, premieres at 12 a.m., free pre-recorded virtual event 
Join APPS for a pre-recorded, acoustic concert by local Boone band Mexican Hot Chocolate — view other Front Desk Concerts and upcoming APPS events.

Sustainability Film Series: Landfall 
March 16, 7 p.m., free virtual event, registration required
This documentary chronicles the aftermath of Hurricane Maria and the fraught relationship between the United States and Puerto Rico.

More Events and Activities:
AppalachianToday • Engage • Campus Activities • University Recreation • Turchin Center

Latest News and Key Reminders

COVID-19 positive cases update

• Our preliminary testing data for this week indicates a positivity rate for the week of 1.4%. However, App State has seen new cases of COVID-19 in some of our residence halls.

• All active cases and close contacts have been identified and are receiving support from the university while recovering in isolation and/or quarantining. Learn more about contact tracing and campus isolation and quarantine procedures.

• Targeted testing is ongoing and the university is actively engaging in contact tracing for all positive cases.

• Monday's dashboard update will include additional cluster data for the spring semester, as well as the weekly data for this week that includes testing data from this weekend.

On-campus COVID-19 testing continues

• Free COVID-19 testing for students, faculty and staff continues each Wednesday and Saturday from noon - 5 p.m. Walk up or drive up. No appointments required — bring your Banner ID and AppCard. Check the university’s COVID-19 Testing page for the latest schedule and location information.

Key Metrics

Communications and Updates

Continued COVID-19 response efforts

Chancellor Everts continues to meet regularly with UNC System President Hans and System leadership, as well as with her vice chancellors and emergency management team. University representatives meet regularly with local public health consult with the NCDHHS COVID-19 response team as needed. Read more:

Messages from Chancellor Everts • Previous COVID-19 update from App State • App State’s coronavirus website and dashboard • Resources for faculty and staff • Department directory

Information Coming Soon

• Additional information about COVID-19 vaccines.

• Additional information about Spring Commencement.