Omaha City Wire

University of Nebraska Medical Center recently issued the following announcement on March 4.

UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, addressed a campus in a transition period with the pandemic.

Two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, reported cases are in what Dr. Gold called a "dramatic" decline as the omicron peak recedes.

In recognition of the improving situation, Dr. Gold and Jane Meza, PhD, interim executive director for health security, outlined during the March all-campus forum the ways UNMC is opening up more activity on campus.

The campus leaders - who again held the forum virtually — emphasized UNMC is taking a phased, step-by-step approach. Dr. Gold said he has great respect for the concept, "abundance of caution."

On the question of a full return to campus, Dr. Gold cautioned that it may take a long time and we may never get back to what life was like before the pandemic. Still, he said we should hopefully get much closer to our pre-pandemic day-to-day life.

The chancellor said: "Using the health and wellness of our faculty, students and staff as the North Star — where we have been since the very beginning of this pandemic — we continue to be flexible and to make what we believe to be balanced and thoughtful decisions." 

Masks: Masks still are required on campus. Surgical masks are the minimum-quality approved mask, although a KN95 mask is recommended. Cloth masks are not approved.

Vaccines: Vaccines continue to be required, and a booster shot is expected when eligible.

Coming to campus: Faculty and students who have handled courses virtually for the pandemic are encouraged to return to in-person learning where it does not significantly impact the educational goals. Employees who have been working remotely are encouraged to return to campus and should discuss options with their supervisor. Dr. Gold urged people to regularly use the 1-Check COVID app, which he said remains a very useful tool for campus leaders analyzing the situation on campus and helping guide the de-escalation of precautions.

In reference to remote work in the future, Dr. Gold said: "I think we’ve proven that we can be extremely successful with individuals working off campus." He added: "It will continue to be a balance." 

Gatherings: Meetings and gatherings of up to 25 people are allowed as long as people wear masks.

Gatherings with food: This week, UNMC started a pilot program to allow food at small gatherings — up to 25 people, in approved rooms for groups between six and 25 people and socially distanced. Campus officials chose the authorized meeting spaces after going room to room to measure carbon dioxide levels and gauging the capacity to distance people.

Said Dr. Meza, "We know that people want to gather. We know the importance of breaking bread together, and so we wanted to roll this out at a time when the community transmission rates would warrant it."

Testing: COVID testing for people who may have symptoms remains available on the Omaha campus at Doctors Building South. UNMC faculty, students and staff in Omaha who are asymptomatic can test at Williams Science Hall. See the UNMC COVID-19 website for testing sites and hours for all UNMC campuses.

Visitors to campus: Essential visitors only.

Travel: Guidelines for travel by UNMC faculty, staff and students are available online.

Said Dr. Meza, "We do have a different world now, and we look at things differently."

While the leaders emphasized the pandemic situation is improving, Dr. Gold cautioned that the case levels are nowhere near as low as last June and July. He said the virus still can throw another curveball.

"We want to move ahead, and we want to create more latitude and openness on campus. We just need to be thoughtful about how we do it."

Dr. Gold said he knows UNMC sets an example in the community with its COVID policies and procedures.

"We are critical to the vibrancy of all of the communities that we serve in rural and urban Nebraska, and people look up to us constantly for the decisions that we make," he said. "You know, people read what the CDC says and what other people are saying, but it always comes down to, at least in this community, ‘What's the med center doing?’" 

On other campus matters:

• Searches for UNMC’s new vice chancellors for research and for business, finance and business development are progressing. Finalists for the business and finance position could be announced soon.
• Dr. Gold said UNMC and community partners gave successful testimony before the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee Feb. 17 on the university’s proposals for funding through the American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA: the UNMC-University of Nebraska at Kearney Rural Health Complex, UNMC Pancreatic Cancer Center of Excellence and UNMC Global Center for Health Security.
• The annual strategic planning discussions are continuing, and the goals under discussion will go out to campus stakeholders in March for input.
• The UNMC College of Medicine has received full, eight-year accreditation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education. See the story in UNMC Today.
• UNMC is studying improvements to the College of Dentistry facilities in Lincoln, possibly including both infrastructure and program improvements.
• An in-person commencement ceremony is planned for each UNMC campus in May.

Original source can be found here.