Dear Marshall community,
I am providing this message as an update on our COVID-19 efforts.
We have now entered Phase II-A of our return-to-workplace plan, which means that within the next couple of weeks, 50% of our workforce is expected to be back in their offices.
On June 22, we will start Phase II-B, which will see 75% of our employees back.
As employees make plans to return, they should bookmark our Return-to-Workplace Guide and familiarize themselves with the instructions it contains.
I want to emphasize how absolutely essential it is for every employee to follow our guidelines for wearing masks whenever they are outside their personal workspace, social distancing in common areas, washing/sanitizing hands, etc.
If we are to have a successful return to face-to-face classes this fall, everyone is going to have to approach the situation with a spirit of mutual respect and a common purpose. Supervisors are responsible for ensuring their employees know the rules and are complying with these guidelines.
Any questions or concerns should be directed to ReturnToWork@marshall.edu.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation and assistance.
Testing Notifications and Status Reports
As you read in notifications to employees and students last week, the testing protocols we set up to detect and isolate COVID-19 cases among our returning student-athletes have identified several who reported to campus unknowingly with the virus. Other universities around the country are now encountering similar outcomes and I am proud to say we set a good example as one of the first schools to report our results.
As we ramp up testing over the coming weeks and months, we will undoubtedly continue to identify students and employees who have the virus, either with or without symptoms.
To further promote transparency and to simplify the notification process going forward, we have consolidated our testing statistics into a status report at the top of the www.marshall.edu/coronavirus website. The report is being updated as frequently as daily or whenever new testing data is available. We will also include a status report each time we send COVID-19 updates to the university community.
Here is the current report (dated 6/5/2020) for the summer term:
| Number of People Tested | Confirmed Cases | Recovered Cases | Current Active Cases |
|---|---|---|---|
| 122 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
Health and Safety Task Force
Work by the task force continues with the goal of developing a comprehensive plan for the fall semester.
The plan will include procedures for classrooms, laboratories, office spaces, residence halls and dining facilities, events and programs, and employee and student protection. The plan will address masks, testing and screening, hygiene, cleaning and sanitizing procedures, self-reporting of health status by students, social distancing, contact tracing, quarantine and isolation protocols, and other measures.
We anticipate having the plan ready to release to the university community within the next several weeks.
Thank you again for your dedication to Marshall University and the students we serve.
Sincerely,
Jerome A. Gilbert, Ph.D.
President