USU: COVID-19 situation urgent, please take precautions and get tested

LOGAN, Utah, (KIDK/KIFI) - Utah State University sent out the following alert to students and parents of students Thursday morning.

USU Safety Alert: Thursday, November 12, 2020, 11:27:07 a.m.

At Utah State University, we need your help now as we are facing a serious situation. COVID-19 numbers are climbing sharply on the Logan campus, as well as in Cache County and across Utah. In addition, state leaders have expressed serious concerns about the increased hospitalizations and report that health care facilities and staff are being overwhelmed. 

Every one of us must take the following steps to curb the spread of COVID-19 and protect our community:

- Get tested before you leave for Thanksgiving. If you are leaving Cache Valley for Thanksgiving, getting a COVID-19 test will help you figure out how to best protect your friends and family members whom you are visiting. To schedule a free on-campus test, go to https://aggiehealth.usu.edu/confirm.aspx and follow the directions. USU students can get a "Weekly Rapid Test" through next Wednesday in the Taggart Student Center Ballroom. A negative test does not necessarily mean that you do not have COVID-19, so you should always wear a face covering when around those you do not live with.

- Follow all quarantine and isolation orders from USU and local health officials. Properly isolating and quarantining are some of the most important ways to slow the spread of COVID-19. If you have tested positive and are in isolation, you should not have contact with anyone who has not also tested positive. If you are in quarantine, you should not have contact with anyone you don't live with, and you should wear a mask around your living group. Do not invite others into your house and do not visit other people.  

- Always wear a face mask around those you don't live with. Governor Gary Herbert has issued a statewide mask mandate that will be in effect for the foreseeable future. Learn more at https://coronavirus.utah.gov/state-of-emergency/. Research shows face masks protect everyone from COVID-19. The more people who wear a mask, the more protected everyone in the community is. Learn more at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/more/masking-science-sars-cov2.html.

- Limit social gatherings to only those you live with. The governor's executive order restricts gatherings that include more than one household through Nov. 23. USU's case containment efforts show that the spread of COVID-19 is primarily occurring among household members and through casual social gatherings and parties. 

At USU, we know that you want to protect yourself, your friends, your family member, and your Aggie family. We are proud of the fact that Aggies look out for one another. We know what it means to be a part of a community and take seriously the responsibilities we have to each other. Thank you for showing enormous resilience during this pandemic and for your willingness to do your part. 

Sincerely,

Ellis Bruch
Director of Emergency Management