Dear Pitt Community,

As of Thursday, April 1, the Pitt COVID-19 dashboard reflects the following:

The scope of our dashboard and these updates is limited to people who have been on a Pitt campus within the last 14 days.

The Pittsburgh campus has a moving average of 13 new student cases per day. We continue to be concerned about this level of spread. Student Health Service on the Pittsburgh campus is open for testing on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Please call 412-383-1800 to schedule an appointment if you have symptoms of COVID-19.

Looking beyond our campuses, there are worrisome trends.  In Allegheny County, case counts are high and hospitalizations are increasing. Hospitals elsewhere are admitting younger COVID-19 patients at similar rates to fall and winter surges. We must act together to avoid spread of the virus, all preventable deaths and prolonged health complications from COVID-19.

We have the tools to stop this fourth surge from getting out of hand. Please wear a face covering, keep your distance from others, avoid making new close contacts and wash your hands frequently, even if you have already been vaccinated.

Under shelter-in-place, you can only leave your residence for essential activities. Learn more in the FAQ.  

This weekend and the week ahead are critical junctures in our fight against COVID-19. By adhering to the mitigation measures and shelter-in-place protocols, you lower your own risk, support the health and safety of our community and help us avoid needing to go to the High Risk Posture. And remember, take care of your mental health, too. Connect virtually with friends and family or safely seek out the sun. Take an online exercise or meditation course. And always, always: reach out for help if you need it.

While we encourage everyone to avoid nonessential travel, the CDC has updated their guidelines to suggest that fully vaccinated people may travel safely within the U.S. without needing to quarantine. All Pitt community members are expected to quarantine for a full seven days upon their return with a test at day 3-5—or a full ten days without a test—regardless of immunization status. This is for the health and safety of our community.

All Pennsylvanians in Phase 1B, including education workers, will be eligible for vaccines this coming Monday, April 5, 2021. While not broadly defined by the commonwealth, we are encouraging all faculty and those staff who work directly with students to be vaccinated at the earliest opportunity when education workers are eligible under Phase 1B. There are more tools for determining eligibility and finding vaccination locations on health.pa.gov.  

Allegheny County launched a new Vaccine Registration site, which allows you to register to be notified via email or text when you are eligible and appointments are available. You can also sign up for Allegheny Alerts to be notified when limited first doses become available to the Allegheny County Health Department. If you are unsure about being vaccinated for COVID-19, please understand the myths and facts, and learn more about why you should get vaccinated.

Pitt continues to apply for vaccine from the state and will keep our community updated. If you got your first dose at the Petersen Events Center, you will be contacted when it’s time to schedule your second dose.

No matter where you get your first dose, please make sure you can return to the same clinic for your second dose.

Thanks, as always, for your partnership and patience.

Sincerely,

COVID-19 Medical Response Office