March 11, 2021, Task Force Update

March 11, 2021 | by the Elmhurst University COVID-19 Task Force

Dear Elmhurst University Community:

With St. Patrick’s Day and spring break just around the corner, we continue to encourage everyone to be mindful of wearing a mask in all buildings, washing your hands often, maintaining social distance, and using hand sanitizer. If we follow all the CDC recommendations, as well as limit our movement, we will minimize the possibility of acquiring the virus and passing it along to family and friends.

The COVID-19 Task Force clearly understands that we are all frustrated with the pandemic. This is not the time to veer from the course we have been traveling for the past year. The vaccine is definitely providing a glimmer of hope. We have months to go before enough people will have been fully vaccinated to change course. Right now, we need to continue to abide by the mask mandate in the State of Illinois. More importantly, the mask mandate for Elmhurst University has not changed. Masks must be worn in all University-owned and -operated facilities. If two or more people come together in an office, conference room, classroom, or any other physical space on campus, all participants must be wearing a mask even if you are fully vaccinated.

While we remain optimistic about the promise vaccines offer, we must continue to be vigilant in our precautions in order to give our community the best chance for combating viral spread.

  • Upcoming Dates
    • March 16, 2021: All-Employee Town Hall, 8:30 a.m. (a Zoom link was emailed to all employees)
    • March 16, 2021: Moment of Silence and Prayer with Rev. Scott Matheney on the Chapel steps, noon
  • Testing
    • March 5, 2021: 137 individuals tested using the saliva test, 0 positives
    • March 8, 2021: 194 individuals tested using the saliva test, 0 positives
    • March 9, 2021: 46 individuals tested using the PCR test, 1 positive
    • Elmhurst University has provided more than 6,100 COVID-19 tests for faculty, staff, and students.
  • Alert Status
    • Elmhurst University remains at the Yellow Alert Level.
    • The current positivity rate for DuPage County is 3.3%. This is down from 3.7% last week.
    • The current positivity rate for Elmhurst University is 0.007. This is down from 0.0075 last week.
  • Vaccines
    • 4% of the population in DuPage County have received their first vaccine dose. This is up from 15.9% last week.
    • 3% of the population in DuPage County has also received their second dose of the vaccine. This is up from 7.1% last week.
    • Vaccine eligibility for DuPage County is currently in Phase 1B+, which includes people ages 16 to 64 with high-risk medical conditions.
    • The COVID-19 Task Force remains encouraged to hear that some of our Bluejays have been fully vaccinated. Congratulations to all of our fully vaccinated campus community members.
    • Additional information regarding the vaccine may be found here and on the University’s COVID-19 Updates page.
  • Food and Drink Reminder: Food and drink are not allowed in Founders Lounge until further notice. Additionally, food and drink are not allowed in the library, the lounge spaces in the residence halls, nor the lounges in Circle Hall.
  • Today’s Inspirational Quote: “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning how to dance in the rain.” —Vivian Greene
  • Today’s Feel-Good Song: “Here Comes the Sun,” The Beatles

 

As always, please be safe and healthy. Wear your face mask (double up on face masks for extra protection—the CDC says it can help better protect you). And let’s be kind to each other during these difficult times we live in.

Bluejay Proud,

The COVID-19 Task Force

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