To the University community:
As a campus community, we have pulled together to mitigate COVID-19’s spread. Over the last two weeks, we witnessed a number of universities—both locally and nationally—forced to flip to remote instruction for the end of their fall semesters due to a rise in cases.
As a reminder, please maintain these public health fundamentals: Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer regularly. Limit or avoid touching your mouth, nose, and eyes. Maintain a reasonable distance from others when possible. Avoid large gatherings of unmasked individuals. Wear a mask when appropriate.
As the highly contagious Omicron variant becomes more prevalent, I encourage you to continue prioritizing health and safety as you celebrate the holidays with your family and friends. Masking, self-monitoring, and testing are important tools that can help mitigate the virus’ spread.
And please, get your booster. If it has been six months or more since you completed the two-dose series of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines, or two months or more since you received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, it’s time to get your booster. Please schedule an appointment over break. Available data shows that a booster dose significantly increases your protection against infection and severe illness. Once you have received your booster, don’t forget to update your vaccination status on file with the University:
I wish you all a Merry Christmas and I look forward to seeing you back on campus in the new year!
Stay safe and healthy.
Sincerely,
Tim O’Shaughnessy, ’85
Interim President