COVID-19 Update: Active Cases | Public Health Reminders | Vaccine Availability

Dear Students, Faculty, Staff and Families:

Today marks the fourth week of the Fall 2022 semester. It has been an exciting few weeks on campus with a palpable sense of energy from everyone in our community. While this semester feels like a more “typical” semester, it is critically important that our community continue to adhere to public health guidance and take the personal and collective steps necessary to keep our students, faculty and staff healthy and safe.

As I shared in my last communication on Sept. 8, the University remains in close contact with New York State’s Department of Health, Onondaga County Health Department and the City of Syracuse. This includes coordinating our joint efforts to mitigate the prevalence of COVID-19. That is why I am writing today, to remind you and reinforce our public health guidance, to share where things stand on our campus and to inform you about steps you can take to maintain your health and well-being. Today, I will address:

• Active Cases and Isolation Housing
• Testing Availability
• Positive Test Result Reporting/Excused Absences
• Vaccine/Booster Availability
• Proactive Steps and Masking
• Resources and Services

Please continue to visit Syracuse.edu/staysafe for the latest updates, and to review important public health guidance and to access resources and services.

Active Cases and Isolation Housing

As of today (Monday, Sept. 19), we are tracking a total of 34 active cases among our student population. Of those 34 cases, nine students are isolating in on-campus isolation space, while the remaining 25 are isolating in their off-campus residences. Isolation housing is available to students who live in on-campus housing in Sky Hall 1 and South Campus apartments.

Additionally, there are currently 15 active cases among faculty and staff that have been reported to Human Resources Shared Services. Faculty and staff are educated on isolation protocols when they report their positive test result to HR Shared Services.

Testing Availability

As a reminder, Syracuse University has expanded access to self-administered COVID test kits. Every student was provided with four free at-home test kits; and all faculty and staff have access to four free test kits as well through their division, unit or department. Additionally, test kits are available for purchase ($1) in vending machines at the Schine Student Center, Goldstein Student Center, Barnes Center at The Arch, Dineen Hall, Life Sciences Complex and the Mount. Please continue to take advantage of this resource as needed.

Positive Test Result Reporting

We continue to ask our campus community to self-report a positive test. Here’s how you can report a positive test:

• Students: To report a positive test, please complete and submit the COVID-19 Positive Test Result Notification Form. The submission form should take no more than a couple minutes to complete. Once you submit your form, the Barnes Center at The Arch will contact the Office of Student Outreach and Retention (SOaR), which in turn will notify your faculty of an excused absence. Please note, the ONLY way to receive an excused absence is to notify the Barnes Center of your positive result. Any communication directly with one of your professors may result in an unexcused absence.
• Faculty and Staff: If you receive a positive test result, please notify your supervisor and HR Shared Services by phone at 315.443.4042.

For all community members, if you test positive, we ask that you please take the following steps, as informed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

•  Isolate for five days following a positive test or the onset of symptoms.
• On day six, if symptoms are resolved, you may leave isolation, but must wear a well-fitting mask while in public or around others for days 6-10.
• If you continue to experience symptoms, you are encouraged to continue isolating until the symptoms are resolved or until you test negative.
• During days 6-10, we encourage our community members to avoid large public gatherings, including eating around people at dining halls.

For more information on how to respond, and what actions to take in the event you test positive for COVID-19, please visit the COVID Response Checklists page on our Stay Safe website.

Vaccine/Booster Availability

As you are likely aware, a Bivalent COVID vaccine (new booster) is being distributed nationwide. Each state is handling distribution differently. In New York state, the Bivalent booster is being distributed to pharmacy networks first, including Walgreens, Wegmans, Rite Aid, Kinney, CVS, etc. Large-scale access to the booster has not yet been made available to universities and colleges. We plan to order a large supply of the booster, once the state makes it available to us. You may have read media coverage where universities, not located in New York state, are already offering the booster. Please note, that when we are able to do so, we will begin offering the booster.

Until then, I strongly encourage you to schedule an appointment at your preferred area pharmacy. To locate and schedule an appointment, please visit the CDC’s Vaccine Finder webpage.

You are eligible to receive the booster if it has been at least two months since your previous booster dose, or two months since you completed your initial primary vaccine series.

Proactive Steps and Masking

Syracuse University continues to urge our community members to take proactive steps to keep themselves and those around them safe and healthy, particularly as cold and flu season creeps closer. Some simple steps you can take include:

• Make sure you’re up to date on your vaccinations and boosters.
• Monitor for COVID-like symptoms. If you’re a student, contact the Barnes Center if you’re exhibiting symptoms. Faculty and staff should contact their primary care provider.
• Take a COVID test if you’re experiencing symptoms, and if you test positive, notify the Barnes Center (students) or your supervisor/HR Shared Services (faculty/staff), and follow the CDC’s isolation protocol as defined above.
• Do not attend in-person activities if you’re exhibiting symptoms.
• Wash your hands regularly.
• Continue to wear a mask in all health care spaces, including at the Barnes Center at The Arch.
• Finally, the CDC continues to recommend that anyone in close contact to a COVID positive individual should wear a mask while in public for a period of five days following exposure. As our campus policy is aligned with CDC guidance, all members of our campus community should adhere to this guidance.

Resources and Services

Syracuse University continues to offer a number of resources and services to assist our community in managing COVID. The Stay Safe website has important information on:

• Support Resources for Students in Isolation
• Disability Access and Inclusion Resources
• COVID Response Checklists
• And much more!

The University appreciates your continued attention to and support of our public health guidance and urges you to continue to take the proactive steps necessary to ensure your personal and our collective health and well-being. We will continue to provide occasional updates when new information becomes available or if we sense reminders would be helpful to our community.

Sincerely,
J. Michael Haynie
Vice Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives and Innovation