1 00:00:00,190 --> 00:00:05,540 Earlier today, University leaders wrote to inform our community that we are enacting 2 00:00:05,540 --> 00:00:10,280 new, temporary restrictions, effective tonight, in response to a rise 3 00:00:10,280 --> 00:00:12,659 in COVID-19 cases. 4 00:00:12,659 --> 00:00:18,020 This rise in new cases is appearing on-Grounds and off-Grounds, and is not confined to a 5 00:00:18,020 --> 00:00:21,520 particular residence hall or other residence. 6 00:00:21,520 --> 00:00:27,300 Our aggressive testing rolled out this semester has allowed us to more quickly identify cases, 7 00:00:27,300 --> 00:00:32,920 and contact tracing through VDH continues to help us target outreach and follow-up through 8 00:00:32,920 --> 00:00:35,829 quarantine and isolation. 9 00:00:35,829 --> 00:00:40,050 In order to quickly to reverse this spike in cases, and protect the health and safety 10 00:00:40,050 --> 00:00:45,629 of the UVA community and our Charlottesville neighbors, we need to impose greater restrictions 11 00:00:45,629 --> 00:00:48,140 for a temporary period of time. 12 00:00:48,140 --> 00:00:52,859 All in-person events and gatherings, on- and off-Grounds, are prohibited and should 13 00:00:52,859 --> 00:00:54,589 be moved online. 14 00:00:54,589 --> 00:01:00,390 See the email you received for more information on what constitutes a gathering. 15 00:01:00,390 --> 00:01:04,290 On-Grounds students may leave their residence hall for essential activities such as: 16 00:01:04,290 --> 00:01:10,650 Attend an in-person class, eating at a dining hall or picking up a meal, or others identified 17 00:01:10,650 --> 00:01:13,230 in the email you received today. 18 00:01:13,230 --> 00:01:18,160 Off-Grounds students are encouraged to remain at home and limit contact with individuals 19 00:01:18,160 --> 00:01:19,900 outside of their living arrangement. 20 00:01:19,900 --> 00:01:22,050 Off-Grounds students may only come to Grounds to: 21 00:01:22,050 --> 00:01:28,350 Attend class, eat at a dining hall or pick up food if they have a meal plan, take a COVID-19 22 00:01:28,350 --> 00:01:31,730 test or go to work at an on-Grounds job. 23 00:01:31,730 --> 00:01:36,030 Recreational facilities will be closed throughout this period, and libraries will 24 00:01:36,030 --> 00:01:39,430 offer contact-less pickup only. 25 00:01:39,430 --> 00:01:44,280 Dining facilities will remain open and grab-and-go options will be available. 26 00:01:44,280 --> 00:01:49,050 In-person seating will be restricted though, to no more than 2 people together. 27 00:01:49,050 --> 00:01:54,170 Research operations will continue, with any modifications determined by the VP for 28 00:01:54,170 --> 00:01:56,700 Research and the Provost. 29 00:01:56,700 --> 00:02:02,950 All instruction will continue to be either in person, hybrid, or online for undergraduate, 30 00:02:02,950 --> 00:02:06,970 as well as graduate and professional students. 31 00:02:06,970 --> 00:02:11,910 The rise in cases we are seeing is directly related to individual decisions to ignore 32 00:02:11,910 --> 00:02:17,370 -- even for one night -- or outright violate the University’s health and safety protocols 33 00:02:17,370 --> 00:02:20,530 that we know can stop transmission of the virus. 34 00:02:20,530 --> 00:02:24,960 When people gather in numbers larger than mandated, remove their masks when they’re 35 00:02:24,960 --> 00:02:31,310 around others, sit or stand too closely, or make other decisions to sidestep these protocols, 36 00:02:31,310 --> 00:02:33,420 the virus spreads. 37 00:02:33,420 --> 00:02:39,180 Large events are a particular risk, but transmission is also occurring when just a few people gather 38 00:02:39,180 --> 00:02:42,569 too closely together and forego a mask. 39 00:02:42,569 --> 00:02:47,400 We are seeing transmission in a variety of venues and a variety of ways. 40 00:02:47,400 --> 00:02:50,990 Fortunately, we all have agency in what happens next. 41 00:02:50,990 --> 00:02:55,870 A virus that spreads when people make the wrong decision can’t spread as easily when 42 00:02:55,870 --> 00:02:58,060 people make the right one. 43 00:02:58,060 --> 00:03:03,490 If we spend the next 10 days making the right decisions, cases will fall as they did after 44 00:03:03,490 --> 00:03:08,930 the spike last September when students redoubled their efforts at compliance. 45 00:03:08,930 --> 00:03:14,400 Once case counts go down and this recent trend is reversed, our quarantine and isolation 46 00:03:14,400 --> 00:03:19,380 spaces will free up, and we will be able to lift these enhanced restrictions. 47 00:03:19,380 --> 00:03:24,350 I recognize today is Mardi Gras and tomorrow is a break day with no classes. 48 00:03:24,350 --> 00:03:29,940 However, I urge you not to use this as an excuse to violate these enhanced restrictions 49 00:03:29,940 --> 00:03:32,700 and make a bad situation worse. 50 00:03:32,700 --> 00:03:37,650 Those undergraduates who recently joined fraternities and sororities must immediately step back 51 00:03:37,650 --> 00:03:44,270 from any planned new member activities that cannot be conducted wholly online. 52 00:03:44,270 --> 00:03:48,650 Those of you who had planned even small events or gatherings with your clubs and friend groups 53 00:03:48,650 --> 00:03:55,430 must also cancel those plans until the enhanced restrictions are lifted. 54 00:03:55,430 --> 00:04:00,340 This includes activities for which an exception had been granted by the special committee 55 00:04:00,340 --> 00:04:02,950 for seeing those exceptions through. 56 00:04:02,950 --> 00:04:08,450 There can be no gatherings during this enhanced restriction period. 57 00:04:08,450 --> 00:04:14,190 I recognize this has been a difficult academic year and you’re tired, as the COVID marathon 58 00:04:14,190 --> 00:04:18,230 we’ve all been running is now a year old and still ongoing. 59 00:04:18,230 --> 00:04:23,020 If you’re in need of help, the University offers resources to assist you. 60 00:04:23,020 --> 00:04:28,360 But frustration with the pandemic’s impact on your college experience cannot be an excuse 61 00:04:28,360 --> 00:04:31,570 to endanger the health of other people. 62 00:04:31,570 --> 00:04:36,600 Last September, after a surge in cases required the University to enact new restrictions in 63 00:04:36,600 --> 00:04:42,530 order to keep people safe, you responded and we got the spike in cases under control. 64 00:04:42,530 --> 00:04:46,949 This is another pivotal moment with an even greater threat given new, more contagious 65 00:04:46,949 --> 00:04:52,710 variants of the virus, but we can reverse the virus’ upward trend once again if we take 66 00:04:52,710 --> 00:04:57,660 the steps as individuals that will result in our community bending the curve and keeping 67 00:04:57,660 --> 00:05:00,370 each other healthy and safe. 68 00:05:00,370 --> 00:05:04,740 We will aggressively enforce these enhanced restrictions, but our hope is that everyone 69 00:05:04,740 --> 00:05:11,620 will recognize the impact of their individual decisions and do the right thing.