Welcome to campus for Fall 2023 semester. We look forward to exploring the many new opportunities and experiences we will create together this spring. To ensure the safety and well-being of our campus, we ask that all members of our community remain vigilant to protect your health and wellness, and that of your fellow Spartans.

COVID-19 Operations

Thanks to the work and research of health care professionals and infectious disease experts, we enter the year with a much better understanding of COVID-19 and practices to mitigate its impact. Thankfully, vaccines and boosters are easily accessible, and more than 80% of our students, faculty, and staff have received at least one dose. Pharmacies and retailers now have ample supplies of home test kits for rapid detection, and the capacity for outpatient treatment at health care facilities has expanded.

Like previous semesters, we will continue to monitor the situation and make necessary adjustments to our operational protocols if needed. Please review key information about our COVID-19 operations listed below.

Masking

Masks continue to be encouraged but remain optional in most University buildings.

• Masks are required in health care settings, including Student Health Services, and any patient clinics or clinical simulation areas on campus.
• We will continue to follow UNC System guidance on masking policies as well as all state and county guidelines on masking.
• UNCG will continue to make masks available at designated locations across campus.

Vaccines

Vaccines and boosters are readily available and provide a safe and effective method to prevent the progression of severe disease, and are now approved for children as young as six months old.

• Vaccine and booster appointments will remain available to all students, faculty, and staff throughout the fall at Student Health Services. 
• Once vaccinated, you are encouraged to upload vaccination records. This is not a mandatory requirement, but a best practice for community wellness.
  • Student vaccination portal
  • Faculty and staff vaccination portal (State employees are eligible for up to eight hours of leave if they receive a booster by August 31, 2022, and upload their booster information.)
• If you do not know if you are eligible for a booster or when you should get your booster, please use this CDC Tool.

Optional re-entry testing

• We are not requiring students to complete re-entry testing, nor will incoming students be required to attest to their vaccination status.
• We do encourage students to test before returning to campus, especially if they are exhibiting any symptoms or could have come in contact with an individual who has tested positive.
• If you are a student and test positive before returning to campus, submit a COVID-19 Self-Report and complete the required isolation period before returning to campus.

Testing

• UNCG no longer provides voluntary screening on campus.
• Symptomatic testing for students continues to be available by appointment at Student Health Services.
• Faculty and staff that are symptomatic should be tested by their health care provider, or through the use of at-home test kits that are widely available.
• Free test kits are available through the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. Additionally, most health plans offer up to eight free at-home test kits per month. More information on how to access test kits through health insurance can be found on the NCDHHS website.

Isolation/Exposure

• All students, faculty, and staff should continue to report positive results from off-campus testing or at-home tests through the COVID-19 Self Reporting Form. 
• Residential students who test positive can isolate at home (strongly preferred) or UNCG has on-campus rooms appropriate for isolation as needed.
• Detailed isolation information for students can be found on this website.
• Employees should follow isolation and precautions for people with COVID-19. Leave-earning employees may work from home ( with approval of their supervisor) or use personal leave for isolation and quarantine.
• All students, faculty, and staff exposed to COVID-19 should follow CDC’s exposure to COVID-19 guidelines. Individuals exposed to COVID-19 no longer have to quarantine. Instead, they should wear a mask for 10 days and get tested 5 days after the exposure.

Testing Positive & Class Attendance

The health and safety of our students are of utmost importance. Therefore, if a student feels ill or tests positive for COVID-19, they should complete the COVID-19 Self Reporting Form and contact their instructors immediately to inform them of their absence, whether remote participation is available, and how to submit assignments remotely. The student should stay home and contact Student Health Services or their health care provider for medical advice.

Monkeypox

UNCG is continuing to work with Guilford County Health Department, CDC, and NCDHHS to monitor, prevent, and respond to monkeypox.

Monkeypox is a disease that is caused by the monkeypox virus and is from the same family of viruses that cause smallpox. Monkeypox symptoms are milder and are rarely fatal. It is spread from one person to another through:

• Skin-to-skin contact with another person who has a monkeypox rash, sores, or scabs
• Respiratory droplets or oral fluids during intimate sexual contact (such as kissing or sex) with someone with monkeypox
• Touching fabrics, objects, or surfaces that have been used by someone with monkeypox

At this time, the risk of monkeypox in the United States is believed to be low, but anyone in close contact with a person with monkeypox can get it and should take precautions to protect themselves by: 

• Avoiding close, skin-to-skin contact with an individual who has a rash that looks like monkeypox
• Avoid handling bedding, towels, or clothes of someone who has been diagnosed with monkeypox
• Washing your hands often with soap and water or use an alcohol-based sanitizer

To learn more about monkeypox, and to stay informed on UNCG’s guidance, please visit the Student Health Services website. 

Thank you for your continued diligence to remain healthy and well, and for your compassionate care for our community.