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.

In her Nov. 5 message to campus, Chancellor Sheri Everts reminded the campus community that the university continues to encourage vaccination, makes testing readily available and shares up-to-date data weekly on the COVID-19 Dashboard. She reported the latest vaccination rates for students and employees, and shared on-campus COVID-19 test positivity rates.

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

Upload Proof of Full Vaccination or Get Tested Weekly!

Upload proof of full vaccination now

Students, faculty and staff who have not already done so should upload proof of full COVID-19 vaccination status now. Because we cannot access your medical records without your permission, this includes anyone who was vaccinated on campus.  

Employees were asked to upload proof of full COVID-19 vaccination status by Oct. 29. As of Nov. 1, employee attestation records are no longer being honored.

• Students: if you have not already done so, upload proof of full COVID-19 vaccination status via your MedPortal accounts. 
  
  
• Employees: upload proof of full COVID-19 vaccination status — even if you previously attested your vaccination status.

Once the university receives your information, you will be:

• Included in the pool of fully vaccinated students and employees;
• Exempted from the weekly COVID-19 testing requirement; and,
• Automatically entered to win weekly prizes.

Get tested weekly if you have not uploaded proof of full vaccination 

Students and employees who have not uploaded proof of full COVID-19 vaccination are required to participate in weekly COVID-19 testing (until a vaccine record has been received and reviewed). 

If you don’t want to submit weekly COVID-19 tests, get vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit your fully vaccinated status to the university. 

• Bring your AppCard and have your Banner ID ready for on-campus COVID-19 testing clinics. When you are tested on campus, your results are provided to the university, which conducts the testing.

  • COVID-19 tests can be conducted outside of a medical facility, such as on a university campus, and results can be provided to the managing facility.  Unlike COVID-19 tests, COVID-19 vaccines are administered in clinic settings and the record must be provided by the individual.
    
    
• If you are tested off campus, review instructions and submit your results via the university’s Submit Your COVID-19 Test Results page.
  
  
• Students and employees may take an on-campus COVID-19 test for any reason. You should get tested for COVID-19 if you exhibit symptoms, even if you are fully vaccinated.

Vaccine resources: 
Submit proof of vaccination • Get your COVID-19 vaccination record (NCDHHS) 

Testing resources:
COVID-19 Testing • Submit Your COVID-19 Test Results • Reporting COVID-19 Cases

Vax Up: Flu and COVID-19 Vaccines Protect You and Your Family

CDC and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) continue to urge everyone to get vaccinated against the flu, as well as COVID-19. 

A new CDC study reinforces that COVID-19 vaccination offers better protection than a previous COVID-19 infection — data demonstrates that vaccination provides a higher, more robust and more consistent level of immunity to protect people from hospitalization.

Where can I get a flu vaccine?

CDC recommends an annual flu vaccine for everyone 6 months of age and older.

• Health Promotion for Faculty and Staff will host a flu vaccine clinic for employees, retirees and spouses/partners on Nov. 12 from 9 a.m.-noon in the Leon Levine Health Sciences Building (Interprofessional Clinic, 1st floor). Registration is required — bring your AppCard, photo ID and insurance card.
  
  
• App State’s Student Health Service provides flu vaccines to students — call 828-262-3100 for an appointment.

Where can I get a COVID-19 vaccine, booster or additional dose?

All currently authorized and recommended COVID-19 vaccines are safe, effective and reduce your risk of severe illness. If you have questions, talk with your healthcare provider.

• Student Health Service (SHS) continues to provide COVID-19 vaccines, boosters and additional doses to students, faculty and staff. Call 828-262-3100 for an appointment.
  
  
• If you are requesting a booster or additional dose, bring your vaccination card so that SHS can verify the date when you were fully vaccinated.

CDC recommends the Pfizer-BioNTech pediatric COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5-11

• AppHealthCare now offers Pfizer pediatric vaccines — appointments for children ages 5-11 are available on a limited basis. Call 828-795-1970 for an appointment. 
  
  
• Like the adult Pfizer vaccine, the pediatric vaccine requires two doses, 21 days apart. Unlike the adult vaccine, the pediatric vaccine doses are smaller. Visit the NCDHHS Vaccines for Children 5-11 page for more information or to find a pediatric vaccine provider. 

Flu vaccine resources:
Flu vaccine finder • Flu vaccine guidance (CDC) • FAQ Flu Questions: 2021-22 Season (CDC) • Flu vaccine guidance (NCDHHS)

COVID-19 vaccine resources: 
COVID-19 Vaccines • Get your COVID-19 vaccination record (NCDHHS) • Vaccines for COVID-19 (CDC) • COVID-19 Vaccine Information (NCDHHS) • COVID-19 vaccines for children and teens (CDC) •  Vaccines for children ages 5-11 (NCDHHS)

COVID-19 booster resources: 
COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Shots (CDC) • COVID-19 Vaccine Boosters (NCDHHS)

COVID-19 Data

• As of Nov. 4, CDC’s COVID Data Tracker reports that more than 193 million Americans, or about 58%, have been fully vaccinated — about 67% of Americans have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine. 
  
  
• As of Nov. 5, North Carolina has administered more than 11.6 million COVID-19 vaccine doses. Of the state’s adult population, 67% has been fully vaccinated, and 56% of the state’s total population has been fully vaccinated.
  
  
• Reminder: App State’s COVID-19 Dashboard is updated each Monday. As of Nov. 1, the dashboard now reflects:
  
  
• The rate of employees who have uploaded proof of vaccination.
  
  
• The vaccination rate of students who are participating in on-campus classes and activities (excluding students who attend online or remotely, do not come to campus, are not traveling, and are not placed in internships, practicums, or other off-campus university assignments).

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

Resources for Students

Students, as the end of the fall semester approaches, remember your wellness and academic resources:

• The Case Management Team in the Office of the Dean of Students provides comprehensive support for students and can help identify on and off campus resources.
  
  
• The Counseling Center has resources to support students heading into the final weeks of the semester. Emergency Counseling Services are available Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. For after hour emergencies, call 828-262-3180 and select the option to speak with the counselor on-call.

  The Counseling Center also offers:

  • One-on-one Let’s Talk sessions. 
  • Group teletherapy. 
  • Thriving Campus Provider Directory of local counseling resources.

  Begin on the Support for My Journey page to find resources that you need now. 

• Wellness and Prevention Services offers virtual events, peer education, addiction recovery, weekly motivation messages and more.
  
  
• The Student Learning Center offers academic resources for students, including tutoring services, academic coaching and self-help resources.

Additional resources for students:
Academic Affairs • Office of the Dean of Students • Mountaineer Food Hub & Free Store • Wellness resources for students • Career Development Center

Additional Information

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

• The university adjusts COVID-19 safety protocols, procedure and policy according to the latest federal, state, local and UNC System guidance.
  
  
• Following CDC guidance, App State uses county-based community spread data to determine when requirements can be lessened or lifted.  

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