COVID-Related Updates for This Week

Rockhurst Student, Faculty and Staff Companions, 

The tulips have arrived, and we are into April! We have a lot of good news to report regarding our COVID case numbers and vaccine availability.

 COVID Vaccinations

• If you indicated interest in receiving a vaccine through our clinic in partnership with Kansas City University (KCU), you should have received detailed instructions on how to register. If you have not already done so, please visit the Missouri vaccine navigator to schedule your appointment because vaccine has been ordered for you.
• The Kansas City, Missouri, Health Department has asked us to advise all faculty, staff and students to register for a vaccine and not to wait until April 9 (tomorrow) when eligibility opens for everyone. If you did not indicate interest in the KCU clinic, please visit this Kansas City website link to find a location and appointment.
• Kansas residents 16 and older are now eligible for vaccination.
• Vaccine availability information for both Missouri and Kansas can be found on the Jackson County website. 
• If you receive a COVID vaccination, please notify the University after you receive the second (or sole in the case of Johnson & Johnson) dose by completing this COVID-19 vaccine form. The information will be used in aggregate to determine how many students and how many employees have been vaccinated. We are pleased to report that more than 430 employees and students have received a full course of the vaccine.

Important Reminders 

• The Kansas City, Missouri, Health Department advises that it is preferable for all attendees at commencement ceremonies to have had at least one dose of vaccine. Please encourage your guests to schedule their vaccinations as soon as possible.
• Because many COVID symptoms resemble allergy symptoms and allergy season has begun, be sure to take your regular allergy medications. If your symptoms are worse or different than usual, please submit the Illness and Exposure Reporting Form immediately. This is especially true for fever, aches, loss of taste or smell, headaches, etc. 
• If you find out you are COVID positive, you have COVID symptoms, or have been in close contact with a COVID-positive person, please submit the Illness and Exposure Reporting Form immediately.

Positive and Quarantined Cases 

Our community cases continue to remain low and stable across all categories and populations.  For undergraduate students on the Troost campus cases remain the same, while the Westport campus increased slightly. There are no graduate student or faculty and staff cases to report on either campus.

As of April 6

  Definitions 

• COVID Active: tested positive for COVID; isolated 
• Quarantined: had close contact with a COVID-positive person; possibly being tested 
• Close Contact: You were within 6 feet of someone who has COVID-19 for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period; You provided care at home to someone who is sick with COVID-19; You had direct physical contact with the person (hugged or kissed them); You shared eating or drinking utensils; They sneezed, coughed, or somehow got respiratory droplets on you 

Thank you for all you are doing to keep our campus safe and open! Our numbers look very good right now, but we also know there is still potential for the virus variants to spread and cause an uptick in cases. We appreciate your vigilance as we work to finish our semester as scheduled.

Matthew D. Quick, Ph.D.   
Dean of Students/Vice President   
Student Development and Athletics   
   
Douglas N. Dunham, Ph.D.   
Provost and Senior Vice President   
Academic Affairs