Below, for your reference, is the full text of President Julio Frenk’s video message (above) to the University of Miami community.
As we wrap up final exams and come to the close of another successful semester at the University of Miami, I want to give you an update on what you can expect regarding COVID-19 protocols when we return to campus in January.
It has been nearly four months since you last received a video message from me regarding the pandemic—and that is a welcome change. At this time last year, I was sending bi-weekly messages, as we braced for a tough winter.
This pandemic has tested all of us, forcing us to remain ever vigilant while we learn about its complexity and adapt to its dynamic evolution. Yet, working together, we have achieved zero in-classroom transmission and have found effective ways to manage cases on campus so we can provide an enriching experience for our students, faculty, staff, and community.
To ensure we continue those promising trends, today I offer five important reminders:
First, we urge you to get vaccinated against COVID, including boosters—and let us know when you do. Rates of vaccination are a critical part of the picture we must consider in making decisions about pandemic protocols. If you have not yet gotten vaccinated, it is not too late to do so. If it has been a while since you received your last dose—six months from a second dose for Pfizer or Moderna, two months from the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine—it is highly advisable to get a booster
. Variants continue to emerge, and seasonality will increase the spread as people spend more time indoors on cold days across much of the country. While omicron does not appear to result in more severe symptoms, it is much more contagious. The best way to keep yourself and your loved ones safe this holiday season is to get all your vaccine shots.
Second, participate in testing. Testing is available on all campuses, is now easily accessible in the community, and is still an essential tool in the fight against COVID. Therefore, all residential students will be required to test within 48 hours of arrival on campus in January. Testing will start the week of January 10, when students participating in Greek life begin recruitment, will continue as new students arrive for orientation, and will resume consistent with our existing protocols as classes begin the following week. Our current guidelines for testing will remain in place, which means that students who are unvaccinated or have not disclosed their vaccine status must get tested twice per week and unvaccinated employees are required to get tested weekly.
Third, if you have not already done so, get your flu shot. As it has been since last year, the influenza vaccine is mandatory, subject to medical and religious exemptions, for both students and employees. We have sent several messages to those who missed the deadline this semester, and we will continue to follow up with each of them going forward.
Fourth, the indoor mask mandate will remain in place. As expected, we have seen a significant increase in infections following the Thanksgiving holiday. We anticipate that exposure to COVID cases over the longer winter break will be even more substantial. We will revisit this policy as circumstances change over the course of the spring semester, but for now we must continue to adhere to those measures that have proven so effective in preventing transmission of the virus.
Lastly, especially in this season of light, keep a hopeful perspective. It may be tempting to succumb to a sense that the pandemic will never end, or that each variant sets us back to square one. That is simply not the case. A year ago, we were largely foregoing in-person holiday gatherings, as distribution of vaccines was only beginning. Challenges remain, but we are in a much better place.
Progress is not linear, yet it is palpable. This year we have been able to gather for Homecoming, we have hosted in-person commencements, and we are engaging in many more of the activities we enjoy.
To those of you graduating this week, congratulations on your accomplishment! And to all who will be with us next semester, I look forward to seeing you in the new year.
Together, we will weather what lies ahead and emerge—as Miami Hurricanes always do—stronger on the other side. Have a healthy and peaceful holiday season!
We are one U. |
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