Fall 2021: Stay Vigilant. Be Resilient.

As the university continues to monitor the COVID-19 situation, please be sure to carefully and regularly review messages from App State.

This week, App State concludes its first month of classes. In her Sept. 10 message to campus, Chancellor Everts reiterated that “the COVID-19 vaccine is what allows our university, our community and our state to remain open and fully functional.” There are no current plans for the university to move in-person classes online.

Keep reading for full details on COVID-19-related updates and information.

Resources:
App State's Coronavirus site • App State’s Fall 2021 Guide to Campus Operations • North Carolina’s COVID-19 Information Hub

COVID-19 Testing Update

App State continues to hold on-campus COVID-19 testing weekly 

On-campus COVID-19 testing clinics for students and employees who would like a COVID-19 test for any reason are offered each Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from noon - 4 p.m., outside the Holmes Convocation Center. Check the university’s COVID-19 Testing page for the schedule of upcoming testing events.

• No appointments or payment are required; however, you will be asked to show your AppCard or provide your Banner ID. Test results will be returned within 24 hours.
  
  
• Getting tested on campus will fulfill the weekly COVID-19 testing requirement for unvaccinated students and employees and your test results will be automatically provided to the university.

Additional targeted testing takes place weekly in residence halls. If you live in a residence hall, please be sure you are checking for emails from University Housing staff with details.

Unvaccinated students and employees are required to submit lab results of a COVID-19 test each week 

A Sept. 8 message to campus included information about required weekly COVID-19 testing for students and employees who are unvaccinated or who have not yet uploaded their vaccine status. 

This requirement applies to students and employees who will be on any App State property, including satellite locations and internship sites. Non-compliance with this safety requirement may result in disciplinary action. If you recently tested positive for COVID-19, you are exempt from the requirement to submit test results for the time period beginning 90 days from your last positive test.

If you have already submitted your vaccine status to the university

• If you’ve submitted your fully vaccinated status to the university, nothing more is required and you may disregard additional messages about submitting vaccine status or testing results.
  
  
• If you are fully vaccinated but have not submitted your vaccine status, submit your vaccine status now to be exempted from the weekly testing requirement. 

If you are tested on-campus

• If you get tested at an on-campus testing clinic, you DO NOT need to submit your results as these will be on file.

If you are tested at at an off-campus testing location of your choice

• If you are tested at an off-campus testing location of your choice, you must submit your test results each Friday by 5 p.m. Self-reporting test results must be verified by a testing laboratory (no home test kits) and will be monitored for compliance.

Which tests are accepted?

• The university cannot accept home test kit results.
  
  
• PCR or rapid-Antigen tests that are read by a testing laboratory will be accepted and should include:
  
  
• Time stamp
• Result of test, positive or negative
• The name of the verifying lab or testing entity
• The name of the individual being tested

Visit the university’s Submit Your COVID-19 Test Results page for more information.

Resources: 
COVID-19 Testing • Submit Your COVID-19 Test Results

Vax Up and Mask Up!

Don’t wait to vaccinate

At a Sept. 9 North Carolina emergency briefing, Gov. Roy Cooper and Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS), again urged ALL North Carolinians to get vaccinated.

• Vaccinations are safe, effective and our best defense against COVID-19 — especially the highly contagious Delta variant.
  
  
• Free COVID-19 vaccines are widely available to anyone 12 and older.
  
  
• COVID-19-related hospitalizations are increasing and the state is averaging 6,000 new COVID-19 cases daily. Nearly all new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are in people who are not fully vaccinated.

Dr. Cohen also reminded North Carolinians to protect themselves, their family members and their community by layering their protections against COVID-19:

• Get vaccinated against COVID-19.
• Wear a face covering indoors.
• Get tested for COVID-19 if you exhibit symptoms.
• If you test positive, seek treatment early. Note: This treatment is not a substitute for vaccination against COVID-19.

If you have questions about the COVID-19 vaccine, talk with your healthcare provider.  Protect yourself and your loved ones — don’t wait to vaccinate!

Where can I get a vaccine?

• Get vaccinated on-campus at Student Health Service: App State’s Student Health Service provides vaccines for students, faculty, staff and community members, as well as third doses for eligible individuals — call 828-262-3100 for an appointment.
  
  
• AppHealthCare also provides vaccines Monday through Friday by appointment or walk-in between 1 - 4 p.m. To schedule an appointment, call 828-795-1970.
  
  
• COVID-19 employee leave options include paid work time to receive the COVID-19 vaccine during work hours with supervisor approval.
  
  
• When you become fully vaccinated, submit your vaccine status to be exempted from weekly testing and other requirements, and entered to win prizes.
  
  
• Visit the university’s COVID-19 Vaccines page for other vaccine providers and information about the COVID-19 vaccine.

Vaccine data

• As of Sept. 10, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) COVID Data Tracker reports that more than 177 million Americans or about 53% have been fully vaccinated — almost 63% of Americans have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine. 
  
  
• As of Sept. 10, North Carolina has administered more than 10.7 million COVID-19 vaccine doses and 51% of the state’s total population has been fully vaccinated.
  
  
• App State’s COVID-19 Dashboard is updated each Monday — it provides a snapshot of the data at the time of each update. 

Face coverings continue to help prevent the spread of COVID-19

NCDHHS continues to urge everyone to wear a face covering, regardless of vaccination status, in indoor public spaces if you live in an area of high or substantial levels of transmission as defined by the CDC until more people are vaccinated and viral transmission decreases. 

All North Carolina counties — including Watauga County  — are currently designated "high” transmission areas. 

• Face coverings continue to be required in all indoor campus locations, as well as in shared university vans and motor pool vehicles. Visit the university’s Face Coverings page for the latest guidance.
  
  
• CDC's When You’ve Been Fully Vaccinated guidance continues to recommend that all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, wear a face covering for higher risk activities, including those with close contact with others who are not fully vaccinated.
  
  
• Additionally, unvaccinated individuals, especially children under 12 who cannot be vaccinated yet, should take extra precautions until they are fully vaccinated. A new CDC study reports that unvaccinated close contacts with any unmasked exposure to COVID-19 results in a 40% increase of a positive test.

App State Resources: 
COVID-19 Vaccines • Face Coverings 

Additional COVID-19 vaccine resources: 
Get your COVID-19 vaccination record • Vaccines for COVID-19 (CDC) • COVID-19 Vaccine Information (NCDHHS) 

COVID-19 data: 
App State COVID-19 Dashboard • AppHealthCare dashboard • COVID-19 vaccines dashboard (NCDHHS) • COVID Data Tracker (CDC)

Campus Operations

COVID-19 Call Center available to answer your questions

• App State has re-activated its COVID-19 Call Center to answer questions and point students, employees, alumni and parents to COVID-19-related information and resources, including campus operations, testing requirements, vaccines and more.
  
  
• Call center staff are available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
  
  
• Call 828-262-2000 and press option 5 to speak with call center staff. If you reach the service after hours, you will be prompted to leave your name and contact information.

Additional campus operations updates

• Campus Dining is hiring students: Campus Dining offers competitive wages and perks for all student employees, which include pay that is commensurate with experience, free shift meals and flexible schedules. Visit Campus Dining’s Employment Opportunities page to learn more.
  
  
• University Recreation (UREC) update: UREC facilities — Mt. Mitchell in the Plemmons Student Union, Quinn Recreation Center, and Student Recreation Center  — are open for walk-in use. Download the UREC app for real-time updates and communication.
  
  
• Outdoor adventures equipment rental is available and registration is open for outdoor trips, recreational sports and swim lessons via the website or the UREC app.
  
  
• Fitness classes are also available and reservations are recommended.
  
  
• Face coverings continue to be required in all UREC facilities — read more about wearing face coverings during exercise.

Additional Information

Please remember the global pandemic is dynamic, and continues to be a rapidly developing situation. Continue to check your App State email regularly — the latest information is also posted to App State’s Coronavirus site.

• The university will adjust COVID-19 safety protocols, procedure and policy according to the latest federal, state, local and UNC System guidance.
  
  
• Following CDC guidance, App State will use county-based community spread data to determine when requirements can be lessened or lifted. Watauga County’s transmission status is checked at least daily and posted on the university’s homepage, as well as the Coronavirus site.
  
  
• If you have questions or concerns about the university’s COVID-19 response and recovery efforts, please contact the App State’s COVID-19 Call Center at 828-262-2000 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Outside of business hours, you will be prompted to leave a message and someone will return your call.

Additional resources:
Latest Updates • Face Coverings • COVID-19 Vaccines • Reporting COVID-19 Cases
COVID-19 Testing