Updated travel guidance for the University community
The Coronavirus University Restart Team has updated its guidance for travel. These guidelines are changing as circumstances of the pandemic improve and additional New York State guidance is distributed but will be reviewed at the end of the spring semester. Broadly, all University travelers—students, faculty, and staff—regardless of destination or origin, are required to follow the current New York State travel requirements, which strongly encourage domestic and international travelers to quarantine upon their return, but quarantining is no longer a state requirement. Additionally, there is no longer a list of restricted states; however, domestic and international travelers do still need to complete New York State’s Traveler Health Form and should also follow all the requirements of the state or country they are traveling to. Find the full guidance here, including specifics for international travel, University- or grant-funded travel, and guidance specific to Medical Center faculty and staff involved in patient care.
In today’s issue:
University IT warns of an increase in unemployment fraud
Spring weather means bicycling classes from Transportation and Parking Management
Texting has been added as a new way to communicate with the Department of Public Safety
Since Friday’s notice in @Rochester, there are six new cases of COVID-19 to report: six River Campus students. Please note that the University’s COVID-19 Dashboard is updated daily. Whenever a new case is known, the contact-tracing process begins immediately with confirmed exposures being contacted and required to quarantine.
The Medical Center is continuing to make vaccine clinic appointments available to all University faculty, staff, and students. See this URMC COVID Clinic List to register.
It’s extremely important for the health of the University community that individuals continue to adhere to the face masking and social distancing protocols. Even as some individuals are now receiving their first or second dose of the vaccine, these practices to prevent the transmission of the virus cannot be relaxed.
To contact Public Safety by text message, enter (585) 275-3333 in the “to” field of your mobile device and then type your message into the message field. It’s important to be clear in the text message where you are and what service you may need. The new text system has the ability to receive text and picture messages and will display the cell number of the individual sending the message so that Public Safety personnel can interact directly and immediately via text.
Security Tip: State Department of Labor warns of an increase in unemployment fraud
Criminals are taking advantage of the surge in unemployment claims by submitting false claims and collecting unemployment benefits using stolen identity data, which was likely obtained in a previous data breach. Many victims don’t know they have been affected until they apply for unemployment benefits. Some are receiving notifications of a claim being opened in the mail. If the criminals have enough information to make an unemployment claim, they could also commit other forms of identity theft.
If you receive a letter about unemployment insurance benefits but have not applied, it’s possible fraud. If you think someone may have used your identity to make a fraudulent unemployment claim, University IT suggests that you:
Check the status of your available online services and confirm your social security number has not been used to make an unemployment claim with New York State by logging into or signing up for a NY.gov ID.
Alert HR at Ask-URHR@Rochester.edu. Once notified, the Office of Human Resources will monitor claims submitted to ensure the claim is denied and will notify the Department of Labor through the employer reporting process.
Be extra diligent about unexpected offers via email, phone, or text. If an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is. Trust your instincts; if something seems suspicious use extra caution.
Follow good cybersecurity practices: Change your passwords regularly, do not reuse passwords, and use two-factor authentication when possible.
UHS to offer one-dose COVID-19 vaccine to students April 13-14; pre-registration required
University Health Service (UHS) has received from New York State 500 doses of the Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) one-dose vaccine. On Tuesday, April 13, and Wednesday, April 14, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., UHS will offer the J&J shot to University students at the Goergen Athletic Center on the River Campus. Per New York State, this vaccine shipment can only be administered to University students. Registration is open and available at uhsconnect.ur.rochester.edu; students must pre-register for a vaccination appointment. More information and directions on how to register can be found here.
Students who are unable to get an appointment through this process are encouraged to send an email to HHF@uhs.rochester.edu to be placed on a waiting list. If there are no-shows on April 13 and 14, UHS will email these waitlisted students directly to come in for a vaccination.
Bring your student ID, show a completed Dr. Chat Bot screen, and, if possible, bring your insurance card so billing for administrative fees can take place. However, there will be no out-of-pocket cost for students under any circumstances. To prepare, be sure to hydrate and eat a small snack beforehand.
The Student Employment Office is reminding and encouraging campus employers to celebrate National Student Employment Week, taking place through April 17. During this week, colleges and universities across the country recognize the importance of student employees and their contributions to the university community.
That “fight or flight” feeling that accompanies long-term stress can have an impact on your “bad” cholesterol. Keep your numbers in the green with Well-U’s condition management coaching. Get started here.
Spring is here—get ready to roll
A series of free, virtual biking classes offered throughout the riding season by the Department of Transportation and Parking Management can help get you on your way. A safe cycling class will be held on Tuesday, April 13, and a learn to ride class will be held on Thursday, April 15. Find the full schedule of classes. All classes are held from noon to 1 p.m., including time for questions at the end. Registration is required.
'Microbes and the Metropolis'
Join Sarah Henry, the Robert A. and Elizabeth Rohn Jeffe Chief Curator and deputy director of the Museum of the City of New York, for a presentation on how pandemics, epidemics, and endemic disease have shaped our urban environments. Henry will explore the long relationship between infection and urban life, with a special focus on how New York City’s built environment and urban systems have responded to the perception and reality of disease and to changing ideas about living with microbes. This event takes place Wednesday, April 14, at 5 p.m. EDT, and is part of the Robin Lynn ’70 Urban Studies Speaker Series. Students, faculty, and staff can register here.
'Running on Fumes: Improved Outcomes Require Community Partnerships'
Learn more about the health disparities in our region related to COVID-19 infection, hospitalization, and death rates, including why they inequities exist and how agencies are working together to improve health outcomes. The taped presentation led by Linda Clark, a senior health advisor at Common Ground Health and cocreator and codirector of Community Fighting COVID, will be available on the Center for Community Health & Prevention’s Facebook page on Thursday, April 15, at 11 a.m. EDT.
Information session on Certificate of Achievement in Community-Engaged Learning
Attend a one-hour session where staff, faculty, and students who have been through the program will answer all of your questions about working toward a Certificate of Achievement in Community-Engaged Learning. The session takes place Thursday, April 15, from 6 to 7 p.m. EDT via Zoom. A link will be provided upon registration.
Grand rounds lecture on managing epidemics with consumer wearables
The next public health grand rounds lecture will take place Friday, April 16, at noon EDT. Girmay Berhie, dean of the School of Public Health at Jackson State University, will give the talk, “Managing Epidemics with Consumer Wearables.” Pre-registration is required. ASL interpreters will be in attendance. Email Carolyn Settle with questions.
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