UI infectious disease expert explains the new CDC guidelines

In this video, UI Infectious Disease Specialist Dan Diekema explains the science behind the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) new guidance for fully vaccinated individuals. For more information about how these guidelines impact campus, visit the UI Coronavirus website.

Publishing note

With the number of COVID-19 cases in our community declining and vaccine availability dramatically increasing, the University of Iowa will transition from sending three COVID-19 updates a week to providing regular updates in your IowaNow emails. Beginning the week of May 31, the number of self-reported cases of COVID-19 will be published on the university’s coronavirus website each Wednesday and shared along with any additional updates or policy changes in your Thursday Iowa Now email.

We will continue to publish the news and updates shared with campus on coronavirus.uiowa.edu.

UI returning to traditional administrative structure to manage COVID-19

With cases of COVID-19 declining and the number of vaccinations rising, University of Iowa Interim President John Keller is deactivating the Critical Incident Management Team (CIMT), effective June 4, 2021. The CIMT recommended returning to the university’s traditional administrative and decision-making structure following the decision by the president of the Board of Regents, State of Iowa, to lift the State of Emergency for the state’s public universities. Members of the CIMT will now serve on a COVID Advisory Committee to monitor public health guidance, direction from the university’s governing body, and campus COVID-19 metrics including new cases and staffing for critical functions.

The advisory committee will serve as a resource to the president, provost, and senior leadership and will continue to solicit input from shared governance leadership and experts from across campus. The CIMT convened in early March 2020 to coordinate the institutional response to the developing pandemic. Following the Incident Command System (ICS) structure, it developed policies and processes for mitigating the spread of COVID-19.

Johnson County vaccination progress

The University of Iowa strongly encourages students, faculty, and staff to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, in consultation with their health care provider.

Please keep in mind immunity is not achieved immediately after receiving the vaccine. It also will take time for everyone who wants to be vaccinated to receive the required doses. In the meantime, we can continue to protect ourselves and each other by wearing a mask, maintaining physical distance from others, washing our hands frequently, and avoiding indoor gatherings with others outside our household. More information about the state of Iowa’s vaccine administration is available here.

University of Iowa self-reported COVID-19 testing

These data reflect new cases since May 26, 2021.

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: 0
• Total cases: 3,192

Employees

• New cases: 1
• Total cases: 502

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: 0*

Number of residence hall students in self-isolation: 1**

*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.