UGA Campus Update
Fall 2021 News for Students
Reports of COVID-19 Decline Sharply at UGA for Second Consecutive Week Cases down 85% over the last two weeks For the second consecutive week, cases of COVID-19 have declined significantly at the University of Georgia, with 77 cases reported for the week of Sept. 13-19, compared to 164 cases the preceding week. The decline represents a 53% drop in cases over a one-week period and an 85% decline since the peak two weeks ago.
The University Health Center (UHC) posted the data as part of the weekly update on its website Wednesday morning. Of the 77 cases reported in DawgCheck, 51 were students, 24 were staff members and two were faculty.
The positivity rate for UGA’s surveillance testing was also markedly lower, with eight of 1,196 asymptomatic individuals testing positive for a rate of 0.67%—the lowest rate UGA has ever reported when regular classes are in session. The UHC can test up to 800 individuals a day, and this service is offered free to the campus community.
UGA Delivers First $1K Vaccine Prizes Fifty fully vaccinated members of the University of Georgia community won $1,000 last week in the first of three drawings to promote COVID-19 vaccinations on campus.
The winners, made up of UGA students, staff and faculty, were drawn from more than 21,000 entries on Sept. 15 and represent the strong commitment being taken by the UGA community to keep one another safe through vaccinations.
Get Vaccinated & Enter! 50 More Winners to be Drawn! Current UGA faculty, staff and students who have received a full series of the COVID-19 vaccine—whether at the University Health Center or elsewhere—can still register to win one of 50 remaining cash prizes of $1,000. On Sept. 30 and Oct. 15, 25 additional winners will be drawn.
Not vaccinated yet? It’s not too late. Individuals vaccinated in the coming weeks will be able to add their names to the pool as soon as they receive their second dose (or single dose of J&J).
Individuals who have already entered the drawing do not need to register again. Faculty and staff winners will be processed through UGA’s payroll and taxed accordingly, and those at senior leadership levels (University Cabinet members and deans) will not be eligible to participate. Students will be provided the aid through their student accounts.
Getting Vaccinated On Campus Vaccinations are available at the UHC. Click here to make an appointment. Getting your vaccine is fast, easy and at no cost to you.
Faculty, staff and students who get vaccinated at the University Health Center will receive a $20 gift card as well as a specially designed UGA T-shirt. While supplies last, options include local gift cards to Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, Rashe’s Cuisine and Maepole.
Gift card and t-shirt incentives are for new vaccinations only. Share the word with friends and colleagues!
Face Coverings Strongly Encouraged in Classrooms Please remember that face coverings are strongly encouraged inside all buildings on the UGA campus, including classrooms. Pursuant to University System of Georgia directives, neither the University nor individual faculty or staff can mandate face coverings in campus facilities, including classrooms. While faculty may strongly encourage students to wear face coverings in classrooms, face coverings are not required, and students are not required to comply with any directives from faculty that masks are required in classrooms. Any student who wants a cloth face covering can pick one up at no cost at Information Desks in the Tate Student Center and the Miller Learning Center.
Face Coverings Required on Buses Regulations from the Transportation Security Administration require passengers to wear face masks on UGA buses, except for children under two and persons with certain disabilities. Disposable face masks are available on UGA buses for any riders who do not have a mask. If you do not want to wear a mask, please take advantage of the extra five minutes added to the period between classes, and walk to class or ride a bicycle.
COVID-19 Testing The University Health Center (UHC) continues to offer free surveillance testing for all faculty, staff and students—just as we did last year. We are open for appointments Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
The UHC can accommodate up to 800 saliva tests per day. Appointments for asymptomatic testing can be booked via the Vet View scheduling process and walk-ups are always welcome. Surveillance tests are conducted outside the UHC, separate from students who are coming inside the clinic for symptomatic testing. There is plenty of room to park, and the whole process usually takes about 5-10 minutes. Samples are processed by the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories, and results are provided to clients within 24-48 hours.
Based on CDC and DPH guidance, any individual, vaccinated or not, should get tested if they have had close contact with someone with COVID-19 within 3 to 5 days of that contact.
UGA Libraries’ FACTS-Finding Mission At the UGA Libraries, we’ve got FACTS. We invite students to explore all of the resources and services that can help them on their academic journey by participating in our FACTS-Finding Mission, a self-guided scavenger-hunt style orientation through our major locations: the Main Library, the Science Library, and the Miller Learning Center.
Find the QR codes that correspond to our FACTS—from friendly librarians and staff to tech to savings. Visit the photo booths for a small prize at each location, and tag us on Instagram at @ugalibs to be entered into the grand prize drawing. You can get bonus entries into the grand prize drawing if you tag us in your pics at the Special Collections Libraries, Art Library, Music Library, Curriculum Materials Library, or Carnegie Library.
Tag us before noon on Friday, Sept. 24, and after that we will choose a winner for a grand prize, featuring a gift card to one of our coffee locations.
Learn more about student services and resources at libs.uga.edu/students.
Celebrate the Launch of Mary Frances Early’s Autobiography The Mary Frances Early College of Education and the University of Georgia Libraries invite the community to celebrate the launch of Mary Frances Early’s autobiography, The Quiet Trailblazer: My Journey as the First Black Graduate of the University of Georgia.
Early will participate in a virtual book discussion, in conversation with UGA Women’s Basketball Coach Joni Taylor, at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 28. Visit the registration page to sign up for the livestream event, which is part of the UGA Signature Lecture Series and is co-sponsored by the Office of the President and the Office of Alumni Relations.
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