Updates

Housed in the Center for One Health Research on the Virginia Tech campus, the decontamination system is helping to stretch supplies for the region's health systems, such as Carilion Clinic, the Roanoke-based nonprofit that comprises hundreds of clinics, hospitals, and specialist offices throughout Southwest Virginia.

Many students had already begun to volunteer in a variety of ways to support the area’s COVID-19 response.

The plan includes guidelines for initial and ongoing screening and testing of students and employees, cooperation with local health department contact-tracing investigations, and effective case management within the university population should an employee or student become infected.

In consultation with our partners in the Virginia Department of Health, we are adopting a range of principle-based actions, effective immediately. We are confident that these actions will lower the risk to our communities.

At present, all university locations are open. Should COVID-19 affect any future campus operations, Human Resources is exploring options to support our employees including leave, alternative work locations, and flexible schedules.

In this message, Provost Clarke encourages faculty to become familiar with strategies to continue teaching through disruptions and to plan for the possibility that students and faculty may not be able to meet for course sessions in person.