UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, sent the following message to the university community on Sept. 4.
Dear UNMC faculty, staff and students,
In the nearly two weeks that have passed since the start of the fall 2020 semester, the pride I have in our university community’s response to COVID-19 has not waned. Each day I am on campus, I see individuals wearing their masks, keeping physical distance, utilizing hand sanitizer stations, checking their 1-Check UNMC apps, browsing valuable campus resources on our website, and showing kindness and patience toward one another.
As the Labor Day holiday approaches, my one request is this: keep up your good work.
We all have a role to play in containing the spread of COVID-19, and we cannot relent in what has been a very strong effort to begin this academic year. Our behaviors off-campus as citizens, as friends and as family members this weekend will play a crucial role in how the disease will spread in the coming weeks.
As we have seen in numerous media reports, college towns around the country in which large gatherings in homes and businesses have taken place are experiencing dramatic and negative consequences that have prevented universities from continuing with in-person instruction.
We are not immune from the spread of COVID-19, which our Health Reporting Dashboard shows. The number of cases we have seen on campus remain low compared to many of our regional and national peers, and we must continue to do everything we can to keep that number low.
Let’s agree to do the little things that make a big difference: wear a mask whenever you go out in public, refrain from large gatherings, wash your hands and, most importantly, self-screen your symptoms daily with the 1-Check UNMC app — especially before returning to campus.
Download the app today on your Apple iOS device or use the web-based screener. It’s free, easy to use, and can connect you with important testing resources if you are determined to be a medium or high risk.
Remember: Stay home if you are exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms, have been in direct contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, and/or is generally not feeling well. (Further information can be found here.)
Take care, be safe, be responsible, and have an enjoyable holiday weekend.
Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D.
Chancellor