Dear campus community,
As we kick off the fall semester, we wanted to send out some reminders for campus preparedness. We are excited to have a full and vibrant campus, but also recognize that this time of year has its own risks and we want to provide some mitigation strategies.
Hurricane/Tropical Storms
We are now entering our peak tropical storm season in Houston. For those new to Texas, and unfamiliar with hurricanes and tropical storms, you can get additional information on the top threats and hazards and how to prepare via https://emergency.rice.edu/what-to-do. For those off campus, we highly recommend stocking up on food, water, back up batteries, and other essentials. If you have not already signed up for emergency notifications, please update your information to receive Rice Alerts.
COVID
You have likely heard about COVID flare ups around campus and in the community. While we are no longer requiring reporting, we continue to work with university leadership as well as student leaders to monitor the campus environment. We want to remind you that there are instructions on the coronavirus.rice.edu site regarding what to do if you are sick, tested positive, or have been exposed. Antigen tests are used to detect the COVID-19 virus in symptomatic individuals and are not intended as surveillance tests or to detect exposure. Four tests per month (two boxes containing two tests each) have been allocated to allow for an appropriate one test per week. Symptomatic individuals may request additional test kits as needed.
Undergraduate students should get test kits and masks through their college coordinators, other campus entities should follow ordering information found here.
More information around a fall vaccine will be shared as availability and eligibility information becomes available. Remember that masking, physical distancing, and hand washing are still solid preventative measures we should all be practicing.
Monkeypox
A recent email from the Provost outlined some important information about monkeypox. Please remain vigilant to exposure and symptoms. There have been some misconceptions around how this virus spreads and who is vulnerable, accurate information from the CDC can be found here.
Flu Shots
Information recently went out to campus regarding fall on-campus flu shot clinics. These clinics are available for faculty, staff, and students.
It has been wonderful to see so much vibrancy on campus, please help us to keep the campus safe.
~Rice Crisis Management