eNews: Required emergency notification of positive COVID-19 cases on campus

As we begin summer on our campus and continue preparations for a return to normal operations for the fall semester, Baylor University is required to send an Emergency Notification* under the Clery Act to all students and employees to ensure you are informed about where to access information regarding COVID-19 positive cases on our campus, important personal health and safety precautions and essential sources of information about the coronavirus.

Daily Dashboard

The University provides an update on confirmed positive cases among Baylor community members on the Baylor University COVID-19 Dashboard, which can be found on the University's coronavirus website. The dashboard is updated daily by 3 p.m. and includes daily new reported cases, total active cases, positivity rate and cumulative cases, as well as several other important data points, such as vaccination rates and testing statistics.

The University's coronavirus website also contains links to the COVID-19 case dashboards maintained by the Texas Department of State Health Services and the Waco-McLennan County Public Health District, and the latest information about COVID-19 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about caring for yourself and helping protect others in your home and community.

Health & Safety

While COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in our local community and state continue to decline, it is still important that all students, faculty and staff maintain their personal health protection.

As of May 17, 2021, and in line with CDC recommendations, the current face coverings guidance on the Baylor campus is:

• Face coverings are optional outdoors.
• If you have been fully vaccinated, face coverings are no longer required indoors.
• If you have not been fully vaccinated, for your health and safety, you are still required to wear a face covering while indoors on campus.

Baylor's Health Management Team continues to monitor local COVID conditions and CDC recommendations and will provide updated guidance for the University throughout the summer.

Other health guidance from the CDC includes avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated indoor spaces, washing your hands often with soap and water or using hand sanitizer if soap and water aren’t available and getting a COVID-19 vaccine when it is available to you.

Baylor also requires weekly testing for students, faculty and staff on campus this summer unless exempt (fully vaccinated with a vaccine authorized by the FDA for emergency use or within 90 days of a positive COVID test). Testing locations include the North Village Community Center, Robinson Tower and Washington Tower.

Vaccination Availability and Confirmation

COVID-19 vaccines are available for students and employees now and throughout the summer at the Baylor Health Center in the McLane Student Life Center. Appointments can be made on Baylor Health Services website or by calling 254-710-1010. Among the reasons to get vaccinated are no more weekly testing or quarantine if exposed, optional masks, more in-person events and traditions in the fall, protection from severe COVID illness and hospitalization and no self-quarantine when traveling in the United States.

Although Baylor University will not require a COVID-19 vaccination for students, faculty and staff for the fall semester, Baylor's medical team strongly encourages everyone to get vaccinated as soon as possible. The extent to which Baylor can provide a full, normal fall experience is directly dependent on the information we have regarding vaccination of the campus community over the next few months.

If you are a fully vaccinated student, faculty and staff member, please fill out the brief Vaccination Confirmation form at www.baylor.edu/vaccine and upload a photo of your completed vaccination card. To successfully access the form, you must be logged in to your Baylor-provided email account. This HIPAA-protected information will be submitted to Health Services for exemption from weekly testing and quarantine and helps us know how well protected Baylor is as a community while we continue planning for a normal fall.

If you are experiencing symptoms

If you are a Baylor student and experiencing any of the COVID-19 symptoms or you are a close contact of someone who has tested positive for the virus, stay at home and make a testing appointment by logging in to Health Portal on the Baylor Health Services website. Do not go directly to the Heath Center in the McLane Student Life Center for medical treatment.

Baylor employees who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms should follow CDC guidelines and contact their personal healthcare provider.

Other Resources

In addition to Health Services, Baylor students also have access to Pastoral Care, the Counseling Center and the Paul L. Foster Success Center. Faculty and staff also can access additional services through the Employee Assistance Program.

The University also has adopted various Interim COVID-19 policies for students, employees, contractors and visitors.

For more information about COVID-19, please visit the websites of the Centers for Disease Control, the Texas Department of State Health Services and the COVID-19 website.

Baylor University
Department of Public Safety

*Under appropriate circumstances, the Baylor University Department of Public Safety will issue emergency notifications and/or timely warnings regarding criminal activity or safety issues concerning campus as required by law. For more information on Emergency Notification/Timely Warnings - Baylor Alerts, please visit the University Compliance and Risk Services website.