This Week in COVID: Feb. 5 – 11, 2022

A&T to Lift COVID Restrictions on Monday

After a careful and thorough review of campus data and trends relative to the ongoing challenge of coronavirus, North Carolina A&T State University leaders approved the modification of restrictions put in place last month to slow the omicron variant’s spread, citing a substantial change in campus conditions.

Student Health Center Director Padonda Webb reported to A&T employees in a pair of campus forums this past week that the positivity rate has fallen below 2%, below the threshold that health authorities say is necessary to control the virus’ spread.

As a result, the following changes are being implemented on Monday, Feb. 14:

• In-person dining will return at all dining facilities in the Student Center and Williams Dining Hall.
• Visitation in campus residential facilities will once again be permitted, allowing students and guests as visitors who are not residents.
• Capacity in the Campus Recreation Center will return to normal.

In lifting the restrictions, university leaders expressed gratitude for the ongoing way that students, faculty and staff continue to meet each challenge of the pandemic. Aggies have adapted to testing, specialized masking, sanitizing of surfaces, social distancing, vaccination, booster shots and restrictions on normal campus activities to mitigate the pandemic’s impact on the university.

Their discipline in consistently adhering to guidance has not only kept the campus safe and healthy, it makes possible a less restrictive environment where the public health is still maintained.

While we all hope that future restrictions will not be necessary, it’s great to know that Aggies will do whatever is necessary to protect one another and keep themselves healthy.

National, State COVID Numbers Dropping

Contributing to a much brighter COVID picture this past week were brightening pictures of the virus’ impact in North Carolina and nationally.

As of today, daily new cases in North Carolina are down 75% from their peak three weeks ago, according to state Department of Health and Human Services data.

Nationally, the number of daily cases has dropped by 61% over the past two weeks, according to Centers for Disease Control data. While the number of deaths continues to rise slightly, public health experts say it will soon begin to decline, owing to the dramatic dop in new infections.