Updates

The high percentage of vaccinated Hokies gives Virginia Tech the opportunity to return to a level of normalcy, including resuming in-person classes and many campus activities that could not happen last fall due to the pandemic and before COVID-19 vaccines were available.

Virginia Tech is hard at work preparing for an in-person fall semester, and the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine has helped contribute to this “new normal,” vaccinating not our furry friends, but human members of our community. Full vaccination against COVID-19 is vital for the health of Hokie Nation and beyond.

The answer for reducing the development of variants is to stop transmitting the virus, said Lisa M. Lee, associate vice president for scholarly integrity and research compliance and professor of public health at Virginia Tech. Until 85 percent of the world’s population is vaccinated, the virus will mutate and produce variants.

Efforts to reduce the on-campus population of students and employees support the overall public health goal of limiting the potential spread of the virus. The reduced on-campus population reduces the public health risk for the entire community – including those working on campus and working remotely.

We have received many questions from employees about their options should the coronavirus spread more broadly across Virginia, especially with Friday’s announcement from Gov. Ralph Northam ordering all K-12 schools in the commonwealth to close for a minimum of two weeks.

It’s in times like these past few days that the honor of being a Hokie feels especially amplified. With uncertainty and anxiety coming from every direction, the spirit of generosity from our students and their families has been humbling.