Message from the President
June 16, 2020
Dear UTRGV Family:
As you may already know, the number of positive COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases throughout the Rio Grande Valley continues to rise. While most of us are attending classes or working from home, this increase in cases should serve as a stark reminder for all of us that the virus is still prevalent in our communities. For the health and safety of our campus community, strictly adhering to health protocols and guidelines is more important now than ever before.
Moving forward, the university will provide bi-weekly email updates regarding positive cases within our campus community. We hope that these updates will remind us that we all play an important role in mitigating the exposure of coronavirus to our campus community, especially as we move toward a gradual reopening in the fall.
Most recently, two employees on our Brownsville Campus have tested positive. Per university protocols and in accordance with CDC guidelines, the employees are in self-isolation for at least 14 days. These employees were last on campus on June 8 and June 10, respectively.
Also consistent with the university protocols, anyone identified as being at risk of exposure from these individuals already has been notified regarding the need for isolation or testing.
Please remember that we all play an important role in protecting each other and ourselves from COVID-19. Each day, before accessing any of UTRGV’s campus/off-campus facilities, review the screening questions regarding COVID-19-related symptoms and perform a self-screening.
If you answer yes to any of the questions, please do not access our campuses/off-campus facilities!
Instead, employees should call the UTRGV Employee Health Clinic at (956) 296-1731, or your healthcare provider, and notify your supervisor and stay home. If you develop symptoms or start to feel unwell during the workday on campus, please follow the same process, contact your supervisor and leave work immediately. Your supervisor will work with you on leave management or a remote work arrangement.
Students who answer yes to any of the questions are advised to call UTRGV Student Health Services at (956) 665-2511 (Edinburg) or (956) 882-3896 (Brownsville), or their healthcare provider.
When you do access a campus/off-campus facility, you are required to wear a face covering that covers the mouth and nose:
- The covering must be worn in all hallways, public spaces, research labs, teaching/computer labs, libraries, classrooms, automobiles with a passenger, stairwells, elevators and common areas, as well as office spaces. In office spaces, when social distancing of 6 feet is possible and maintained, face coverings may be removed.
- Face coverings also are required in outdoor settings, if safe social distancing and gathering practices are not possible.
For more information on preventative measures, click here.
For more information on symptoms and diagnosis, click here.
For additional questions, please email coronavirus@utrgv.edu.
Sincerely,
Guy Bailey
President