The following message was sent to Drexel students on Jan. 29:
Dear Drexel Dragon,
At Drexel University, the safety of the entire Drexel community is our top priority, including students living both on and off campus. In order to protect you and those around you, wherever you are — it is your responsibility to take the proper precautions and help prevent the spread of COVID-19. It is particularly critical that you avoid social gatherings, especially parties, in order to mitigate the transmission of the virus.
We have learned that most COVID-19 infections occur in situations of prolonged exposure where social distancing measures are not practiced. One easy step that all members of the community can take is to wear masks when spending any amount of time with those outside your immediate household. Some of you may have also formed a pod with others in which everyone agrees to a particular set of standards. Maintaining a pod in this way can help limit your risk to COVID-19, as long as all members commit to following standard preventative public health measures — these include wearing face masks, washing your hands, monitoring your health via the Drexel Health Checker app, maintaining physical distance, and especially avoiding gatherings with people outside of your pod or household. While the pandemic is ongoing, it is particularly vital that you refrain from hosting or attending indoor social gatherings. Together, we can take the necessary steps to ensure the health and safety of both ourselves and our local communities.
COVID-19 testing also plays an important role in both mitigation and risk reduction. That is why at Drexel, COVID-19 testing is required for all on-campus activity. If you are living on campus or taking face-to-face courses, you must schedule a COVID-19 test via the Drexel Health Checker app. If you haven't downloaded it yet, you can find the Drexel Health Checker in your app store.
If you feel ill or think you may have been exposed to COVID-19, you should contact the Student Health Center right away by phone (215.220.4700) and through the Drexel Health Checker app. As always, you can learn more about the steps the University is taking to ensure our community's safety at Drexel's Response to Coronavirus page. This site is constantly updated with the latest health and safety protocols, and we encourage you to visit it often to make sure you remain up to date. Stay safe, and remember that your actions don't just affect you but they also impact the community around you. Continue to take care of each other and always wear your mask. Because at Drexel, Dragons wear masks.
Sincerely,
Subir Sahu, PhD
Senior Vice President for Student Success