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COVID Update - Back To School

Dear St. Thomas students, faculty and staff,

We’re looking forward to having everyone back on our campuses this academic year! As we welcome new students, staff and faculty this fall, we'd like to take this opportunity to inform the community of our latest COVID-19 protocols. Here are some important updates from the university that you should know:

Vaccinations and Boosters

All students, faculty and staff must be vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus before returning for the 2022-23 academic year. Community members who would like to request a medical or religious exemption should visit the COVID-19 resources page for information on the exemption process.

At this time, St. Thomas is not requiring COVID-19 boosters to live, work or attend classes on campus, although the university will continue monitoring the overall situation and make policy adjustments as needed. We strongly encourage individuals who are eligible to get booster shots. Evidence is showing that boosters, given at the appropriate time after your vaccination series, can help extend the protection and keep it at a higher level. Vaccinations and boosters are available at the Center for Well-Being; please call (651) 962-6750 to make an appointment.

Take Precautions if Exposed

We encourage all faculty, staff and students to be diligent if you feel any symptoms – from a fever or runny nose to a scratchy throat or anything that feels like the onset of a mild cold. If this is the case, please wear a face covering and try to social distance from others until you can get tested or your symptoms subside. Many may be mildly symptomatic and as we convene back to campus, it is wise to take precautions.

Any community member who feels comfortable wearing a face covering at any time is encouraged to do so. We ask everyone to be respectful of these times and at other times when face coverings are expected, such as when:

  • At the Center for Well-Being in clinical areas
  • Honoring a request by someone on campus to put on a mask in their presence, such as in a small office space or classroom
  • For at least 10 days after COVID-19 exposure or infection

We recommend high-quality, well-fitted masks whenever possible.

Stay Informed

If you’re new to St. Thomas and wondering about the current state of COVID-19 on campus, please check our dashboard showing the number of positive cases reported weekly among students, faculty and staff, as well as our vaccination rates. The dashboard is generally updated on Mondays (except on holidays). The university is currently monitoring some small clusters of COVID 19 cases and is in communication with affected groups.

Testing

To help us keep our university community as healthy as possible, all students, faculty and staff members are required to report any test-positive COVID-19 findings to the Center for Well-Being. Self-report forms, for either students or for faculty/staff, can be found on OneStThomas for electronic reporting.

We encourage you to get tested at the CWB after exposure or if you have COVID-19 symptoms. To schedule a test, please call (651) 962-6750. This year, there will be a charge for COVID-19 tests from the CWB, which many health insurances cover.

You can also find test kits on sale at the Tommie Shop, Tommie Central and your local pharmacy. You can also order free rapid COVID-19 tests through the federal government, but they must be ordered by Friday, Sept. 2, from www.covid.gov/tests.

Monkeypox Information

The university is aware that the U.S. government has officially declared monkeypox (MPX) a national public health emergency. For information on MPX transmission, symptoms and vaccination, please visit the Center for Well-Being MPX webpage.

If you, or someone you know at St. Thomas, have reason to believe that you have been exposed to monkeypox, immediately contact your primary care doctor or the University of St. Thomas Center for Well-Being at (651) 962-6750. If you are on campus and require isolation due to an MPX diagnosis, this will be managed using the university’s protocols for contagious illnesses. The University of St. Thomas and the Center for Well-Being will continue to monitor and follow the medical guidance available through the Minnesota Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

More Information at Your Fingertips

Please visit the Center for Well-Being website for more medical information, including access to our COVID-19 webpage for our official response plan, the university’s weekly cases dashboard (which is updated every Monday), quarantine and isolation guidelines and other resources. You can also call our COVID-19 Info Line at (651) 962‑6133 for nonmedical questions.