COVID-19 Update from the President

Today we begin our SIXTH full week of classes, and I remain encouraged by the members of our campus community committed to ensuring CSU is a safe place to live and learn this semester. We are thankful for the continued efforts of our faculty, staff, and students to adhere to the policies and procedures that are keeping our community healthy. For the third week in a row, the number of cases on campus has declined, and for that we are very thankful!  

Our Numbers

Here are our numbers as of September 22, 2020: 

• TOTAL NUMBER OF STUDENTS IN ISOLATION: 6 
  Of these 6 students, 2 are confirmed positive. 
  Of these 6 students, 1 resides on campus, 5 reside off campus. 

• TOTAL NUMBER OF STUDENTS IN QUARANTINE: 28
  Of these 28 students, 10 reside on campus, 18 reside off campus. 

• TOTAL NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES IN ISOLATION: 0
  
• TOTAL NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES IN QUARANTINE: 2

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 Activities

Over the past week, we have continued to increase the number of in-person activities on campus. It feels great to be moving closer to the type of Charleston Southern University experience we all love, and we are hopeful that with everyone’s continued commitment to public health policies – face mask and social distancing protocols, completing the LiveSafe application daily, and accurately reporting symptoms and positive COVID-19 tests results to the university – we will increase in-person events on campus even more. 

Flu Shots

One of the most important things we can do as a campus community this year is to encourage everyone – faculty, staff, and students – to get their flu shots. COVID-19 and the flu present very similar symptoms, so by getting a flu shot you are minimizing (though not eliminating) the risk that these symptoms are associated with the flu. Most importantly, the flu vaccine reduces the risk of flu illnesses, hospitalizations, and death. We want to do our part in reducing the likelihood that our healthcare systems become overwhelmed this winter treating both patients with the flu and with COVID-19. Therefore, getting a flu vaccine this year is more important than ever….which is why I didn’t waste my shot! Check it out. 

You can get your flu shot TODAY through our healthcare partner, Fetter Health Care Network, on campus from 1:30-4 p.m. in front of WCCL! Flu shots are covered by most insurance plans. If you do not have insurance or if you have Medicare or Medicaid, the cost of the vaccine is $20. If you are a residential student and you don’t have insurance, CSU will cover the cost!

Stay #BUCSAFE

As a reminder, 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! And remember: Spread the Word, not the virus.

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