Dear Pitt community,
With fall classes fully underway, we write to share our second CMRO update of the semester, and our first report of COVID-19 case counts this term.
Vaccination status
Across all campuses, 83% of the Pitt community has now uploaded proof of vaccination against COVID-19. As of Wednesday Sept. 8, this includes:
Overall reports of vaccination
- Faculty: 78%
- Staff: 81%
- Graduate students: 88%
- Undergraduate students: 85%
Pittsburgh campus
- Faculty: 78%
- Staff: 81%
- Graduate students: 88%
-
Undergraduate students: 89%
- On-campus undergraduate students: 96%
- Off-campus undergraduate students: 84%
Bradford campus
- Faculty and staff: 74%
- Students: 74%
Greensburg campus
- Faculty and staff: 81%
- Students: 67%
Johnstown campus
- Faculty and staff: 66%
- Students: 67%
COVID-19 Case Reporting
Below, we report cumulative positive cases for students, faculty and staff on each campus, along with the seven-day daily average of positive tests as of Sept. 7. For our first report, the cumulative cases reflects positive tests reported since the start of classes on Aug. 27 through Tuesday, Sept. 7, a 10-day period. Moving forward, cases will be reported on a weekly basis. You can also find this data on coronavirus.pitt.edu.
Reporting Period: Aug. 27, 2021 – Sept. 7, 2021
Seven-day daily average of cases reported as of Sept. 7, 2021
Pittsburgh Campus
-
Students: 56
Seven-day average of 5.9 positive student tests per day
-
Faculty and staff: 22
Seven-day average of 1.9 positive faculty tests per day
Bradford campus
-
Students: 0
Seven-day average of 0 positive student tests per day
-
Faculty and staff: 1
Seven-day average of 0 positive faculty tests per day
Greensburg campus
-
Students: 8
Seven-day average of 0.6 positive student tests per day
-
Faculty and staff: 0
Seven-day average of 0 positive faculty tests per day
Johnstown campus
-
Students: 2
Seven-day average of 0.1 positive student tests per day
-
Faculty and staff: 1
Seven-day average of 0 positive faculty tests per day
Unpacking the data
We are encouraged that the reports of vaccination continue to increase, though more work is needed to increase the rates of vaccination and reporting. If you are vaccinated, please upload your proof of vaccination. Among instructors, 94% who are scheduled to be in the classroom have reported that they are vaccinated.
With the start of the academic year and the corresponding increase in people on our campuses, we are seeing an increase in the number of positive cases on campus since the summer. Since most of our community is vaccinated, the majority of the positive cases are among vaccinated individuals as expected. Also as expected, most of these cases are mild, since the vaccine is highly protective against severe disease. This raises two important points of emphasis:
- Mask up! Vaccination is very effective at preventing severe disease, but breakthrough infections and transmission can occur, especially when unmasked. You are required to always wear a mask in indoor settings on campus unless you are in a private space with the door closed. We highly recommend wearing a mask outdoors whenever possible, especially if you are part of a large social gathering where physical distancing is not possible. You should always wear a mask on public transportation.
- Get vaccinated! Vaccination is still highly protective against severe disease, hospitalization, and death. If you are not vaccinated, we encourage you to get the vaccine as soon as possible. The Pitt CoVax Vaccination Center is open six days a week with expanded hours through mid-September.
Of note, participating in large, unmasked gatherings makes contact tracing extremely challenging. When positive cases occur at these large gatherings, those individuals may not be able to reliably identify all of their close contacts (as defined by the CDC), especially people they are meeting for the first time. Masking up at such gatherings can help to further decrease risk of getting infected and spreading the virus. Importantly, please get tested if you are invited to participate in focused testing because you were at a gathering where a positive case was identified.
Important reminders
If you have not uploaded proof of vaccination, you are required to participate in weekly COVID-19 testing. It is your personal responsibility to produce a negative test result every week. You will lose access to University buildings if you do not participate. Order your test kit from Quest now.
Get your flu shot! Campus flu shot clinics begin next week. The Pittsburgh campus will host three mass flu clinics:
» Petersen Events Center
- Sept. 15, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
- Sept. 21, 6:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
» William Pitt Union
- Sept. 29, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the HealthyU Fair
Bradford and Johnstown campuses will also host clinics on Oct. 12 and Sept. 22, respectively.
We are very much in the midst of this pandemic, and the virus is present among the Pitt community. Our collective ability to experience this semester in-person and minimize the risk to vulnerable populations in our community including immunocompromised individuals and children who cannot get vaccinated depends on our willingness to get vaccinated and practice healthy behaviors wherever possible.
Stay well and stay safe. Thank you for your partnership and patience.
Sincerely,
The COVID-19 Medical Response Office
