A COVID-19 toolkit for the holiday season
Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and with COVID-19 cases still prevalent across the region and country, everyone’s favorite feasting holiday is going to look a little different this year. As you plan your day, remember to keep in mind the number of people present, the space you're in, and make sure to wear a mask in all activities when not with members of your household.
University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics has prepared several resources to help you navigate this process, including:
- Five ways you can celebrate Thanksgiving safely this year.
- How to talk to your loved ones about celebrating safely this year.
- Thinking of hosting or attending an event? Use this risk assessment planning tool.
- Have a different activity in mind? See where it falls in the safety rankings.
For additional resources to help support your health and safety during the COVID-19 pandemic, see the UI Health Care COVID-19 toolkit.
Johnson County COVID-19 vaccination survey
Johnson County Public Health has launched a survey about the COVID-19 vaccine to assess attitudes toward receiving vaccinations for COVID-19 and would like feedback. The survey is open to all those who live or work in Johnson County. Take the survey here.
Campus operations
The university continues to monitor self-reported COVID-19 testing data on campus, while also tracking state, region, and national COVID-19 infection rates. The university will continue to follow the latest guidance from the CDC in coordination with Johnson County Public Health, the Iowa Department of Public Health, and the Board of Regents, State of Iowa.
University of Iowa self-reported COVID-19 testing
These data reflect new cases since Nov. 20, 2020.
The University of Iowa has published an updated snapshot of self-reported positive COVID-19 tests from faculty, staff, and students.
Number of self-reported cases of COVID-19
Students
- New cases: 30
- Semester-to-date: 2,629
Employees
- New cases: 16
- Semester-to-date: 259
These numbers reflect only self-reported positive or presumed positive COVID-19 tests from UI faculty, staff, and students on the academic campus since Aug. 18, 2020. These data will not match data reported by UI Hospitals & Clinics or by the Iowa Department of Public Health for several reasons, including different testing time intervals and geographic scope. Students who also are employees of the university are only reported in the student number to avoid double counting. The UI has more than 30,000 students and nearly 30,000 employees. Many employees continue to work remotely but have self-reported to authorize sick leave.
Number of residence hall students in quarantine: 1*
Number of residence hall students in self-isolation: 11**
*Quarantine: Quarantine is used to keep someone who might have been exposed to COVID-19 away from others.
**Self-isolation: Isolation is used to separate people infected with the virus (those who are symptomatic and those with no symptoms) from people who are not infected.