Updates

We must begin the new year with that same commitment and some additional measures as we will likely be fighting two COVID-19 variants along with seasonal influenza and other common respiratory infections. Our goal is to operate safely and in person to the greatest extent possible, while also safeguarding the capacity of the health care systems in our communities.

Though the newest coronavirus variant, omicron, hasn’t yet made its way to the region, Noelle Bissell, New River Health District health director, expects that it soon will come. That, plus the large number of people who will travel and gather for the holidays, likely will push COVID-19 cases higher.

Virginia Tech faculty are intersecting research, education, and service through COVID-19 classes, which give students the tools to maneuver through an ever-evolving pandemic and a minefield of COVID-19 misinformation.

Our success this semester depends on each one of us. We’ve all worked hard to get this far, so let’s make it count as we look forward to reclaiming the active campus we know and love.

2020 will be remembered for challenges the likes of which have not been seen for generations. The year will also be remembered for the way we met those challenges. We developed thoughtful and pragmatic plans, adapted to changing circumstances, and safely served the needs of the community while maintaining a focus on our mission.

Mandatory random prevalence testing will allow monitoring of the status of COVID-19 on campus and in Blacksburg with a statistically significant sample of the entire undergraduate population.