COVID-19 Update from the President

We have officially kicked off the Spring 2021 semester! There’s so much to look forward to in the coming weeks and months, even in the midst of a pandemic: making memories that last a lifetime, gaining more experiences and skills to kick off your career, enjoying new spaces on campus, and, for some of you, graduating. Remember—we’re making our way to the first of May!

A few days ago, we welcomed our residents back to campus during a successful spring move-in. All residential students were required to provide a negative COVID-19 test prior to moving back into their rooms. Thank you to Fetter Health Care and CSU employees who provided an efficient rapid testing process last weekend. As a result of testing, we were able to detect, isolate, and monitor positive cases to help mitigate risk of viral spread on campus. This was fully expected as our task force is acutely aware of the rise in cases post-holidays. The numbers are reflected below and serve as a reminder that we should remain diligent in following BUCSAFE best practices to keep our campus family safe.

Our Numbers

Here are our numbers as of January 12, 2021: 

• TOTAL NUMBER OF STUDENTS IN ISOLATION: 34 
  Of these 34 students, 34 are confirmed positive. 
  Of these 34 students, 6 reside on campus, 28 reside off campus. 
• TOTAL NUMBER OF STUDENTS IN QUARANTINE: 28
  Of these 28 students, 6 reside on campus, 22 reside off campus. 
• TOTAL NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES IN ISOLATION: 6 (6 confirmed positive)
• TOTAL NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES IN QUARANTINE: 10

As a reminder, ISOLATION is reserved for actively symptomatic or known positive cases, and QUARANTINE is reserved for those who have been identified as a close contact of someone who is positive or who has symptoms. People in QUARANTINE are NOT ill – we are simply watching them to ensure they do not become symptomatic.  

On-Campus Health Resources

Last fall, we launched a partnership with Fetter Health Care Network, offering our entire campus family a convenient, vital health resource on our own turf. The mobile clinic will again be on campus each Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the Russell Horseshoe. To schedule an appointment with Fetter’s off-campus locations, call 843-709-5989. Note that rapid COVID testing is available on site every Wednesday, but will require an appointment.

SCDHEC and MAKO Medical will continue to operate a COVID-19 testing site in the stadium parking lot throughout the semester, offering testing via PCR (polymerase chain reaction) at no cost. While this is a convenient resource for our faculty, staff, and students (especially those affected by quarantine), please continue to reach out to Professor Glover if you’re experiencing symptoms, have been exposed to the virus, or otherwise find it necessary to pursue testing.

Campus Events

Though the Polar Bear Plunge was canceled as a precaution in light of increases in COVID cases across the state, we expect more on-campus events as COVID numbers decrease (once we get past the post-holiday surge). Follow BucNation and the website events calendar here to keep track of event happenings. All new event requests must be submitted through the BUCSAFE form at least 2 weeks in advance of the event. 

BUCSAFE Resources

The medical subcommittee of the University Pandemic Task Force continuously reviews the latest COVID-19 research, including: new cases, hospitalizations, vaccines, and recommended guidance from the public health community. In an increased effort to help our campus community stay informed, the task force created a page of COVID-related resources, which you can review and bookmark here: https://www.charlestonsouthern.edu/bucsafe/resources.

Stay #BUCSAFE

Remember, you can always reach out to the University Pandemic Task Force with questions or concerns. You can contact them directly by emailing covid19@csuniv.edu. This email address is monitored Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Any emails received after 5 p.m. on Friday will be addressed on Monday.    

Stay safe, stay focused, stay healthy, and stay faithful to the Lord and His provision as we work together to continue enjoying a healthy CSU! As always, let’s spread the Word, not the virus.

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