April 30, 2021
Message from the Department of Environmental Health and Safety
Governor Cooper announced updated COVID-19 restrictions to take effect April 30, 2021 including:
- masks are no longer required but strongly recommended outdoors; and
- gathering capacity limits increased from 50 to 100 indoors and 100 to 200 outdoors.
Based on risk assessment using key metrics, NCCU will NOT be adopting these new measures at this time.
There has been a substantial uptick in cases on campus as well as Durham and the surrounding areas over the past months - mostly attributed to large gatherings without distancing and masks. Further, based on available data students and employees are not fully vaccinated in numbers that would support a decision to loosen restrictions on campus at this time. Continuous evaluation of our campus COVID-19 mitigations will occur over the summer and in preparation for the Fall 2021 semester.
What can you do?
- Get fully vaccinated. NCCU has access to all 3 FDA authorized COVID-19 vaccines in sufficient quantities to get our campus vaccinated. Clinics dates and times are announced weekly and you can walk-up or schedule an appointment at your convenience for the vaccine you choose. The Governor announced yesterday that he would consider removing the indoor mask mandate when 2/3 of NC residents are fully vaccinated. The sooner we all get our shot – the faster we can return to a sense of normal.
- Make your vaccine count. There are surveys for faculty/staff and students to anonymously report perceptions regarding the COVID-19 vaccine as well as vaccination status. These surveys collect data to determine the percentage of Eagles who are fully vaccinated.
- Stay the course. Avoid large gatherings, keep wearing your mask, wash your hands often, continue social distancing, and stay home if you are sick. COVID-19 fatigue affects us all but the quickest way out is to keep doing what we have been doing to stop the virus from spreading.
As Eagles we embody the ideas of truth and service – getting vaccinated and protecting yourself and others until we are out of this pandemic is the greatest service we can do for our fellow Eagles and the larger community at this time. What you choose to do on and off campus affects everyone you come in contact with - please stay safe and "Protect the Nest."
