Following new UNC System guidance released yesterday to help mitigate the threat of COVID-19, NC State is enhancing its safety measures for the fall semester. The updated requirements will remain in effect until further notice.

Beginning Monday, Aug. 16, all students, faculty and staff who will be on campus (or at any NC State owned or operated location across the state) for any reason must provide proof of vaccination or they will be required to participate in weekly surveillance testing on campus.

This expanded requirement, in addition to existing safety measures outlined below, will help keep our community healthy and should provide an enhanced sense of comfort to all students, faculty and staff as we begin a new semester.

Vaccines Work

Vaccination is our best defense against the virus. Vaccines are safe, free and highly effective against serious illness from all known variants.

It has been reported that more than 99% of recent COVID-19-related deaths involve people who have not been vaccinated. Even though we are seeing breakthrough cases where vaccinated individuals are testing positive for the delta variant, vaccines have proven very effective at keeping those people from serious illness or hospitalization.

Student Health Services offers COVID-19 vaccination appointments through the PackVax clinic for students, faculty, staff, alumni and their immediate families. The clinic is open all summer and fall in Student Health Services. Appointments are availablefor anyone 12 years and older.

Students, faculty, staff or visitors not able to receive a vaccine because of a documented disability, medical condition or sincerely held religious belief may make a request for a reasonable accommodation.

Providing Vaccine Records

If you’ve received or will receive your vaccine on campus, you do not need to upload your record.

If you received your vaccine off campus, you will need to upload your vaccination record into the HealthyPack Portal, even if you responded to the recent vaccine survey in the MyPack Portal. We need proof of your vaccination for you to be exempt from required weekly surveillance testing.

Providing proof of vaccination will also exempt you from required weekly surveillance testing and from having to quarantine, in most cases, as part of NC State’s contact tracing program.

Self-Reporting and Contact Tracing

If you test positive for COVID-19 at an off-campus testing facility, it’s very important that you let the university know so we can support you, trace the disease’s spread and help prevent additional infections.

Anyone who tests positive off campus or is told to quarantine should self-isolate, not come to campus and self-report as soon as possible. This allows NC State to conduct contact tracing and provide you guidance on isolation and quarantine.

Face Coverings

Face coverings are required in all indoor spaces on campus for students, faculty, staff and visitors, regardless of vaccination status, unless:

• You are alone in a private, enclosed residence hall room, apartment or office with the door closed.
• You are in an enclosed indoor space when only household members are present.
• You are actively eating or drinking.

Face coverings are not currently required in outdoor spaces for vaccinated individuals, but they are encouraged, especially in large crowds. Anyone who has not been fully vaccinated should continue wearing a face covering outdoors.

Face coverings are required on NC State’s Wolfline buses.

Testing

On-campus testing will remain available for anyone in the NC State community throughout the fall. COVID-19 tests on campus are free and available to all NC State students, faculty and staff. For more information on testing locations and hours, please click here.

Through the Wolfpack Surveillance Program the university will also conduct COVID-19 viral PCR testing on a regular basis in vaccinated student, faculty and staff volunteers. Our medical professionals will use this sample group to trace symptomatic and asymptomatic infections among vaccinated individuals on campus. Go hereto find out more or to volunteer for the program.

Moving Forward

As the pandemic requires adjustments to our fall plans, NC State remains fully committed to doing all we can to help ensure a safe, positive and rewarding on-campus experience for our students, faculty and staff. Please regularly visit the Protect the Pack websitefor the most up-to-date information.

Thank you for doing your part to keep yourself healthy and protect the Pack.

Randy Woodson
Chancellor