JMU Health Update - Oct. 20

Dear JMU Family,

Test Your Bubble Tomorrow!

Tomorrow from 2 to 7 p.m. at University Park, 1,000 free COVID-19 tests will be available to anyone, regardless of whether they have symptoms or known close contacts. Bring your social bubble! It’s a great way to maintain the trust you and your friends have invested in each other.

Made available through a collaboration among the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Virginia Department of Health, the City of Harrisonburg, Rockingham County and JMU, these drive-through tests will be administered on Wednesdays over the next five weeks. The dates are Oct. 21, Oct. 28, Nov. 4, Nov. 11 and Nov. 18. Limited walk-up testing is also available. More details can be found here. You may pre-register here or register on-site.

Update on Cases

The university observed 0 new positive cases of COVID-19 at the Health Center yesterday, as well as 3 self-reported cases, with 5 students becoming considered “recovered,” meaning they were diagnosed as positive more than 10 days ago and are no longer infectious. One employee self-reported receiving a positive test result. The number of active cases is at 40. The number of open quarantine and isolation beds is at 463 out of 477. More information can be found on the university’s Stop the Spread dashboard. While our situation continues to improve, individuals must continue to follow public health guidance by wearing masks, maintaining physical distance and washing hands frequently.

Stop the Spread HELPline

If students and their families have questions and can’t readily find the answers in our FAQs, call the Stop the Spread HELPline, which is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The toll-free number is 888-886-3131. And don’t forget, many of your questions can be answered here. Call center agents also will be answering questions sent to covid19@jmu.edu, and you can submit questions via a form on the Stop the Spread site. Please note, the HELPline is not for reporting noncompliance with health guidance and the Stop the Spread Agreement signed by all students. Please use the LiveSafe app, which goes directly to the JMU Public Safety dispatch.

Stay safe, and please remember that the only vaccine currently available for COVID-19 is solidarity. And download the COVIDWISE app!