The UH Board of Regents delivered updates on the coronavirus case count and vaccinations Thursday.
The UH System’s efforts to monitor and limit the spread of COVID-19 on its campuses have, so far, gone according to plan with no significant increase in case counts and the distribution of Phase 1A vaccinations set in place for the coming week.
“From a big picture standpoint overall, the continued protocols for testing and other measures that we have had in place for some time have continued to pay dividends across our system,” said senior vice chancellor Raymond Bartlett.
Testing kiosks, including the University’s Curative Kiosk on the main campus, are in place across the system allowing students, faculty and staff access to free testing.
Like the state and the rest of the country, the University saw a slight spike in cases following the holiday season.
However, the seven-day moving average of cases on campus has been cut in half as of Feb. 23, leading to about two cases per day, according to Bartlett.
The University has received 1,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine, and plans to administer vaccinations in the coming week to students and faculty who are applicable for Phase 1A due to their work in clinical settings.
Distribution of Phase 1B, which includes individuals who are 65 or older or those who are 16 or older with an underlying health condition that makes them especially vulnerable to COVID-19, will come after Phase 1A, according to state guidelines.
The Lone Star Circle of Care at the University received vaccines in January and February, with more doses on the way. The state approved both the UH Student Health Care Center and the UH Lone Star Circle of Care to provide vaccinations.
“I think [there are] a lot of positive steps with regards to not only our testing protocols, but also in terms of protecting our faculty and our students and our staff moving forward,” said Bartlett.
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