COVID-19 Medical
Response Office

Dear Pitt community,

There was an increase in reports of vaccination over the past week. Across all campuses, 82% of the Pitt community has now uploaded proof of vaccination against COVID-19. As of Wednesday, Sept. 1, this includes:

 Overall reports of vaccination status

• Faculty: 77%
• Staff: 79%
• Graduate students: 86%
• Undergraduate students: 83%

Pittsburgh campus

• Faculty: 77%
• Staff: 80%
• Graduate students: 86%
• Undergraduate students: 87%
  • On-campus undergraduate students: 96%
  • Off-campus undergraduate students: 82%

Bradford campus

• Faculty and staff: 71%
• Students: 72%

Greensburg campus

• Faculty and staff: 79%
• Students: 66%

Johnstown campus

• Faculty and staff: 65%
• Students: 66%

Overall, an encouraging trend.  Among instructors, 92% who are scheduled to be in the classroom have reported that they are vaccinated. We extend our thanks to each and every person who has taken a brief moment to report their vaccination status. At the same time, we must acknowledge that 18% of the Pitt community across all campuses remains unvaccinated or undisclosed. Unvaccinated people are extremely susceptible to the contagious delta variant. Based on current trends we anticipate overall vaccination rates are closer to 90%, so if you are vaccinated it is crucial that we know about it. If you are vaccinated, please upload your data.

We will begin reporting cumulative positive cases for students, faculty and staff on each campus next week. This cumulative reporting will include all reported symptomatic cases as well as the results of the mandatory testing of unvaccinated or undisclosed community members.

Mandatory virus testing through Quest began this week. It is the responsibility of unvaccinated individuals to comply with mandatory testing, including those who continue to work fully remote. Individuals who do not comply may lose building access and face disciplinary action. These steps will help protect the health and safety of all Pitt community members throughout the pandemic.  

Individuals will be removed from the mandatory testing list if they upload their proof of vaccination.

If you—or anyone you know—still needs a COVID-19 vaccine, the Pitt CoVax Vaccination Center is open 6 days a week with expanded hours through mid-September. All three vaccines are offered. Walk-ins are welcome and open to the public. Staffers are happy to answer questions and have conversations about vaccination without judgment. A Center like this is unique to the area. Nearly 22,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered by the PittCoVax team to date.  Please take advantage of this Pitt resource.

Anyone who gets vaccinated at the Pitt CoVax Vaccination Center in September can receive up to 2 free passes to the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh when they mention this offer.

One free admission is good for all four museums: The Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History in Oakland, the Carnegie Science Center and the Andy Warhol Museum on the North Side. Free passes do not expire.

Please bring your own mask with you when coming to campus and have your mask on and your Pitt ID ready when entering buildings. Pitt IDs can be tapped or swiped to move through concierge stations.  

While vaccination is our current number one virus control strategy, we cannot forget the importance of masking indoors, whether vaccinated or not, to further protect against delta. Although Pitt relaxed physical distancing, we need to be smart and avoid extremely risky behaviors like attending large, unmasked gatherings if we don’t want to derail progress. While vaccinations are highly protective against moderate and severe disease, recent evidence suggests that breakthrough infections will occur, in part dependent on the time since initial immunization. Being vaccinated is not a license to participate in risky behaviors.

Sincerely,

The COVID-19 Medical Response Office