With UNC’s first week of class for the fall semester complete, Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz is urging all unvaccinated students, faculty and staff to receive their COVID-19 vaccine. As of August 20, 88 percent of students and 81 percent of employees have attested they are vaccinated.

“If you are not yet vaccinated, now is the time to do so,” Guskiewicz said in a message to the campus community Friday. “The vaccines are safe, effective and free. They reduce the contagion period, as well as the severity and length of illness if you become infected.”

Students who received their first dose of a two-dose vaccine in their hometowns are able to receive their second dose from Campus Health.

Unvaccinated students will now be required to test twice a week through the Carolina Together Testing Program beginning August 23. The chancellor said this decision was the recommendation of the university’s public health team.

The Carolina Together COVID-19 dashboard shows 103 positive cases in students through on-campus testing from August 1 to August 19.

In addition to mandatory mask mandates indoors, the university is also encouraging everyone to wear masks outdoors – especially in large gatherings or in congested areas.

UNC students began classes Wednesday and some traditions cancelled last fall – like sipping from the Old Well for a 4.0 GPA – were able to occur during the first week of class this year.

“As the University returns to a more normal on-campus experience this semester, the Old Well will be functioning on the first day of classes,” Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Amy Johnson said about the Old Well being operational for the first day of class. “We ask that students who decide to take a sip from the Old Well on the first day of classes for good luck consider wearing a mask and keeping their distance if there is a line on Wednesday.”

The first sip at the Old Well received backlash on social media, but Guskiewicz said the decision was made following the guidance of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Orange County Health Department and the university’s infectious disease experts.

“I know there have been some concerns about certain activities, such as the first sip at the Old Well, Sunset Serenade and athletic events,” the chancellor said in his message to campus. “Let me be clear: we are consulting with our experts and health officials, as well as following state and local guidelines, as we make these decisions. This guidance has enabled us to safely offer these Carolina traditions, albeit with a modified approach.”

Guskiewicz said he is confident the university is in the “best position possible today to manage COVID-19 related challenges this fall.” He said there will be risks of COVID-19 cases on campus, but believes the Carolina community can manage them to ensure a successful semester.

 

Featured photo via Brandon Bieltz/UNC-Chapel Hill

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