Co-chairs of the Pandemic Emergency Response Team (PERT) provide updates before Thanksgiving break
Dear UMass Dartmouth students, faculty, and staff,
The Pandemic Emergency Response Team (PERT) wants to thank every member of the UMassD community for their dedication to keeping each other safe during the fall semester.
Everyone has done a tremendous job to keep cases on campus at an absolute minimum this fall. That said, the pandemic’s impact is still being felt on the SouthCoast, in the Commonwealth, and across the nation. We are closely monitoring regional and statewide increases in cases, but we are pleased to note that there is no anticipated change to our operational status or schedule for the rest of the fall semester. The university’s Spring 2022 Semester Plan has recently been published and does not contain any substantial changes from the way we operated this fall.
As has been the case for the past year, vaccines are our best way to combat COVID-19. As of this writing, we have reached fully vaccinated status for 95.1% of students and 96.5% of faculty and staff. This is quite an accomplishment.
On November 18, 2021, Governor Baker announced that all Massachusetts residents 18 and over are eligible to get their COVID-19 booster shot if they have received their second Pfizer or Moderna vaccine at least six months ago or have received a single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least two months ago. The COVID-19 vaccines have proven to be very effective in lowering the risk of severe disease, hospitalization, and death, but according to the CDC, this protection may diminish over time. Boosters help the vaccines stay effective for longer.
UMass Dartmouth strongly encourages and expects eligible individuals to receive their COVID-19 vaccine booster shot. To make it more convenient for everyone, UMass Dartmouth will be offering on campus COVID-19 Booster Shot clinics. The clinics on November 30 and December 1 are currently fully booked, but we will be holding more soon. We thank everyone who is taking the initiative to receive their booster shot. For additional details on vaccination booster shots, please visit our Vaccination Information website.
Thank you again for your willingness to protect our community. Keep wearing your mask and have a safe and happy holiday. We’ll see you all back on campus after Thanksgiving break to finish the semester strong.
Sincerely,
Michael Goodman
Acting Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
PERT Co-Chair
Deborah Majewski
Assistant Vice Chancellor for Organizational Behavior
PERT Co-Chair