>> NEXT WEEK MARKS THE START OF
THE SPRING SEMESTER ON THE
FLAGSHIP CAMPUS OF THE UW.
MADISON WELCOMES STUDENTS BACK
TO CLASS IN THE MIDST OF A
MASSIVE SPIKE IN COVID-19 CASES
STATEWIDE, INCLUDING WITH
BEEFED-UP TESTING AVAILABILITIES
AND NEW VACCINE CLINICS.
OTHER SYSTEM CAMPUSES ALSO
PREPARED WITH UPDATED GUIDANCE
AND MITIGATION STRATEGIST.
OUR NEXT GUEST IS THE POINT
PERSON FOR ALL OF THIS AT
UW-MADISON.
JAKE BAGGOT IS ASSOCIATE
VICE-CHANCELLOR AND EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR OF THE UNIVERSITY
HEALTH SERVICES.
HE JOINS US NOW AND THANKS VERY
MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> GOON.
IT'S GOOD TO BE HERE.
THANK YOU.
>> SO WHAT TREPIDATION DO YOU
HAVE WITH STUDENTS RETURNING IN
THE MIDST OF THIS FAST-SPREADING
OMICRON VARIANT?
<!32768> WE'RE GIVING A THOUGHT
OF LOT TO THAT AND GIVING ADVICE
TO OUR STUDENTS ABOUT HOW TO
TRAVEL HERE AND WHAT TO DO WHEN
THEY ARRIVE.
WE'VE GIVEN THEM INSTRUCTIONS
THAT WHEN THEY'RE READY TO
TRAVEL HERE, BEFORE THEY DO THAT
GO AHEAD AND GET TESTED AT HOME.
AND IF THEY END UP WITH A
POSITIVE RESULT, TO STAY THERE
UNTIL THOSE SYMPTOMS RESOLVE AND
THEY'RE CLEARED TO TRAVEL.
BUT EVEN AFTER THEY GET HERE,
WE'RE READY FOR THEM TO GET
TESTED WHETHER THEY LIVE IN THE
RESIDENCE HALL OR OFF CAMPUS SO
WE CAN IDENTIFY ANY CASES THAT
MIGHT HAVE BEEN MISSED EARLIER
ON.
THAT WILL DO A LOT TO PREPARE
OUR STUDENTS.
ON TOP OF THAT, WE HAVE A HIGH
LEVEL OF VACCINATION WITHIN OUR
POPULATION.
OUR STUDENTS HAVE RESPONDED VERY
STRONGLY SO WE HAVE A HIGH LEVEL
OF PROTECTION ALREADY IN PLACE.
>> IF STUDENTS IN DORMS WHEN
THEY GET BACK GET A POSITIVE
RESULT, ARE THERE ADDITIONAL
ISOLATION OR QUARANTINE LIVING
SPACES FOR STUDENTS?
>> RIGHT.
SO WE'RE IN OUR FIFTH SEMESTER
OF WORKING THROUGH THIS KIND OF
THING, SO WE'VE GOT A FAIR
AMOUNT OF EXPERIENCE.
SO WE'RE ALREADY PREPARED WITH
ON-CAMPUS HOUSING CAPACITY TO
SUPPORT THAT NEED SHOULD IT
ARISE AND ALSO ADDITIONAL
CAPACITY IN THE COMMUNITY
THROUGH HOTELS.
IF WE HAVE A NEED, WE CAN EXPAND
THAT CAPACITY.
BUT I FEEL LIKE WE'RE WELL
PREPARED TO RESPOND WHEN THAT
NEED DEVELOPS.
>> I KNOW THAT MASKS CONTINUE TO
BE REQUIRED IN UNIVERSITY
BUILDINGS, AND NOW N95s ARE
RECOMMENDED.
UW-MADISON HAS A LARGE STOCK OF
THOSE.
I SHOULD SAY THAT WE WERE ABLE
TO GET SOME FROM UW-MADISON.
THANK YOU.
BUT CAN STUDENTS GET THEM?
>> SO YES.
WE HAVE A LARGE SUPPLY OF BOTH
THOSE KINDS OF MASKS AS WELL AS
HIGH-GRADE SURGICAL MASKS
AVAILABLE FOR OUR STUDENTS AND
OUR POPULATION, OUR CAMPUS
POPULATION IN GENERAL.
AND SO THOSE WILL BE AVAILABLE
TO STUDENTS.
WHEN THEY ARRIVE THEY CAN GET
THOSE WHEN THEY PICK UP THEIR
TEST KITS AT THE SITES HERE ON
CAMPUS.
WHAT'S IMPORTANT ABOUT THE MASKS
IS TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ONE
THAT'S GOOD-FITTING, THAT IT'S
PROVIDING THE LEVEL OF
PROTECTION THAT IT'S DESIGNED TO
DO SO.
AND WHETHER IT'S A SURGICAL MASK
OR A KN95 OR K95.
>> SO I KNOW THAT THERE ARE HIGH
RATES OF VACCINATION AMONG
STUDENTS AND STAFF AT
UW-MADISON.
WHAT ABOUT BOOSTERS?
WHAT IS YOUR GUIDANCE AROUND
BOOSTERS FOR THE ENTIRE
POPULATION?
>> SO THE GUIDANCE FROM US AND
CDC AND DHS HAS BEEN IF YOU'RE
ELIGIBLE TO GET BOOSTED, GO
AHEAD AND GET BOOSTED AND WE'VE
BEEN ENCOURAGING STUDENTS, STAFF
AND EMPLOYEES TO GO AHEAD AND DO
THAT.
WE KNOW THAT THAT HAPPENED
STARTING BEFORE THEY LEFT FOR
THE BREAK AND WE ARE SET UP TO
SUPPORT THAT NEED WHEN STUDENTS
ARRIVE.
WE'LL HAVE ADDED CAPACITY TO DO
THAT.
BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT MANY
INDIVIDUALS HAVE ALREADY DONE
THAT OVER THE BREAK.
THEY'RE SHARING THAT INFORMATION
WITH US AND WE'RE SEEING A VERY
STRONG RESPONSE.
WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO
ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO DO THAT AS
SOON AS THEY'RE ELIGIBLE.
THAT'S AN IMPORTANT LEVEL OF
PROTECTION AS WELL.
>> AS STUDENTS ARE RETURNING
REALLY ACROSS THE STATE, WHAT IS
YOUR OVERALL MESSAGE TO STUDENTS
NEWLY RETURNING TO CAMPUS?
>> SURE.
THE THINGS THAT THEY'VE BEEN
DOING ALL ALONG TO PROTECT
THEMSELVES, THOSE GOOD HEALTH
PRACTICES, TO BE THOUGHTFUL
ABOUT HOW YOU SPEND YOUR TIME,
WEAR FACE COVERINGS WHEN INSIDE,
WHEN YOU'RE NOT SURE IF YOU'RE
AROUND FULLY VACCINATED
INDIVIDUALS.
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE TESTING
CAPACITY.
IT'S AVAILABLE HERE ON CAMPUS,
IN OUR COMMUNITIES AND EVEN THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS STARTING
TO ROLL OUT IN LARGER NUMBERS.
THOSE THINGS WILL HELP YOU KIND
OF PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT'S GOING
ON, FOLLOW HEALTH PROTOCOLS AND
WE FEEL LIKE WE'LL BE IN A
STRONG POSITION GOING INTO THE
SEMESTER.
>> ALL RIGHT.
WE WILL LEAVE IT THERE.
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR YOUR WORK
AND WE'LL SEE HOW THIS GOES AS
THE THRONGS RETURN.
JAKE BAGGOT, THANKS VERY MUCH.