School encourages students to get vaccine and mask up

Students at the University of North Georgia (UNG) can look forward to a fall semester unlike 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic meant online classes and virtual events. Although classes and activities will return to an in-person setting starting Aug. 23, UNG still urges students, faculty and staff members to follow a few safety recommendations.

"UNG has worked closely with the Georgia Department of Public Health and University System of Georgia to prioritize the health and safety of our campus communities and mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic's impact," Dr. James Conneely, vice president of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, said. "Now, I ask everyone to continue to follow those practices to have a successful fall experience."

UNG encourages all students, faculty and staff to get one of the proven safe and effective COVID-19 vaccinations. The university has implemented a vaccine campaign with the slogan "A little sting in your wing helps protect all Nighthawks" with incentives like free t-shirts for students.

"According to medical experts, the best defense against the virus and best path to end the pandemic is getting more people vaccinated," Conneely said. "I urge our students who have not been vaccinated to consider this matter carefully and consult with appropriate medical personnel to make an informed decision."

To help move the process forward, UNG is sponsoring vaccination clinics for students and partnering with several outside agencies to offer vaccinations to faculty and staff. All COVID-19 vaccinations are free. Times, dates and locations are available on the Nighthawks Together webpage.

All students, faculty, staff, and visitors also are encouraged to follow the best practices recommended by state public health officials and the CDC to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, including wearing masks and frequent handwashing.

Everyone, including fully vaccinated individuals, is strongly encouraged to wear face coverings inside all UNG buildings. Masks are required on all campus shuttles and inside Student Health Services.

UNG asks all to continue daily self-screenings, which include temperature checks, before coming to campus. If anyone suspects they have COVID symptoms or have been exposed to a person with COVID, they should stay home and complete the self-reporting form. Employees or students who test positive should stay home, seek medical care, notify their supervisor or teacher, and complete the self-reporting form. 

UNG provides free asymptomatic surveillance testing throughout the semester on all five campuses. For students experiencing symptoms, tests are available at Student Health Services on the Dahlonega and Gainesville campuses.

As individuals are encouraged to follow the safety guidelines, UNG's facilities staff will continue its efforts to keep UNG clean and sanitized by daily cleaning of instructional classrooms. Ken Crowe, assistant vice president of facilities, further explained that heating and air-conditioning units were upgraded this past year as an additional precaution.

"We have installed ultraviolet light systems in our larger units, which will help disinfect the air circulated through the units," he said.

Additionally, all instructional spaces will be cleaned at the beginning of each day and common areas will be cleaned on a regular basis.