October 12, 2020
UCF’s positive student cases of COVID-19 have more than doubled over last week’s cases. Preliminary contact tracing reveals that many of the past week’s cases trace back to activity at bars and social gatherings.
Since the start of the pandemic, UCF has been tracking all positive cases reported to us that involve a student or faculty or staff member, including those who have not been on campus, posting weekly updates to the dashboard on the university’s coronavirus website.
To prevent the further spread of COVID-19, with only six weeks left until the Thanksgiving break, we must remain vigilant in our precautions where ever we go.
Eating and drinking in indoor social settings like bars, restaurants and gatherings without face coverings is where our tracers find most of our new positive cases. These activities should be avoided unless a face covering is worn at all times and physical distancing can be practiced. These steps help to reduce spread of the virus to you and within our community.
As more normal activity resumes and businesses reopen, we must not let our guards down. We must continue to wear face coverings, wash our hands, maintain physical distancing, and avoid large gatherings, especially those where these other precautions are not followed.
We continue to offer testing to the entire university community, and we encourage those who are feeling symptoms or believe they may have been exposed to be tested. To be screened for testing, call UCF’s COVID Line at 407-823-2509. Testing by Aventus Biolabs is available in Garage A from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday.
We are all in this together, and it is going to take each of us doing our part to keep UCF a healthy, safer environment for everyone.
Armor Up, Knights!
Dr. Michael Deichen, MD, MPH
Associate Vice President of UCF Student Health Services