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Last updated October 22
Ninety-five percent of University employees are vaccinated as of Thursday.
Of the 56 active cases of COVID-19 within the University community, 33 are students.
Moderately to severely immunocompromised individuals who may not have developed a strong enough response to the initial two-shot sequence of doses can receive a third dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.
With the return to in-person classes this semester, University students who are immunocompromised share their experiences in coping with the pandemic.
The University made the decision with guidance from public health experts to reduce the spread of COVID-19 to unvaccinated children and high-risk individuals in the Charlottesville community.
The seven-day average positivity rate for students, faculty and staff also precipitously declined from 1.98 percent last week to 1.27 percent this week.
The masking policy requires that all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, wear a mask while indoors on University-owned property, including classrooms, libraries, dining halls, IM-Rec facilities and administrative buildings.
Though more than 90 percent of faculty are vaccinated, many have children who cannot be as vaccines have not yet been approved for those under the age of 12.
Masks were mandated for unvaccinated spectators, but as the University did not check vaccination status at any entry gates, it is unclear if all unvaccinated individuals followed the University’s guidelines.
A CDC study looking at transmission prevention strategies in schools concluded that masks and increased ventilation were the most effective at minimizing the spread of COVID-19, while barriers between students proved to be the least effective method tested.
There are currently 225 active cases of COVID-19 within the University community.
As of Wednesday, the University’s COVID-19 tracker reports 165 active cases within the University community, 120 of which are among students and 45 of which are among faculty and staff.
Four patients were admitted to U.Va. Health with COVID-19 on Thursday, bringing the current total of COVID-19 hospitalizations to 43.
The University will now reevaluate its indoor mask requirement for both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals by Oct. 1, having originally planned to revisit the policy Sept. 6.
Tuesday’s case count continues a general pattern of increase this fall, with a seven day average of 10.7 on Sunday, 11.3 Monday, and 13.4 Tuesday.
This semester, all students living in the Charlottesville and Albemarle area who are not vaccinated are required to report for testing on a weekly basis.
Excluding contracted employees, 86 percent of U.Va. Health employees are currently vaccinated.
These 238 students represent approximately one percent of the student population, meaning 99 percent of eligible students have complied with the University’s vaccine policy.
The U.Va. Biocomplexity Institute’s COVID-19 model predicts a potential peak of 1,531 weekly cases in what could be the greatest spike in cases since January.
This year will mark the first full “normal” year for members of the Class of 2023 and 2024 — not to mention the 4,631 members of Class of 2025 and transfer students.
