University News
Library Update
The J.D. Williams Library is open for limited service to UM affiliates Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Face masks and social distancing are required. Visit the University Library site for information on services, resources and policies.
University COVID-19-related news stories
- Virtual StudyUSA Program Helps Connect Students with Industry Leaders
- Music professor sings in Operation Bach as nationwide remote recording project takes listeners to the 18th century
Featured FAQ
What is the difference between quarantine and self-isolation?
Quarantine is used to keep someone who might have been exposed to COVID-19 away from others. Quarantine helps prevent spread of disease that can occur before a person knows they are sick or if they are infected with the virus without feeling symptoms. People in quarantine should stay home, separate themselves from others and monitor their health for 14 days from the date of the last exposure to a person who tested positive.Isolation is used to separate people infected with the virus (those who are sick with COVID-19, with or without symptoms) from people who are not infected. People who are in isolation should stay home until it’s safe for them to be around others as dictated by a healthcare provider. Please see these CDC guidelines to determine when it would be safe for someone in isolation to resume contact with others. In the home, anyone sick or infected should separate themselves from others by staying in a specific “sick room” or area and using a separate bathroom, if available.
Quarantine is used to keep someone who might have been exposed to COVID-19 away from others. Quarantine helps prevent spread of disease that can occur before a person knows they are sick or if they are infected with the virus without feeling symptoms. People in quarantine should stay home, separate themselves from others and monitor their health for 14 days from the date of the last exposure to a person who tested positive.Isolation is used to separate people infected with the virus (those who are sick with COVID-19, with or without symptoms) from people who are not infected. People who are in isolation should stay home until it’s safe for them to be around others as dictated by a healthcare provider. Please see these CDC guidelines to determine when it would be safe for someone in isolation to resume contact with others. In the home, anyone sick or infected should separate themselves from others by staying in a specific “sick room” or area and using a separate bathroom, if available.
Students
Virtual Involvement Week 2020
Be sure to check out the videos from Virtual Involvement Week for guidance on how to get involved and engaged at the university. The videos feature panels from various student organizations as well as leadership opportunities and campus activities, such as:
- Sponsored and Peer Government Organizations
- Academic and Professional Organizations
- Religious Organizations
- Political Organizations
- Health and Wellness Student Organizations
- Sport Clubs
- Student Media Center – student newspaper, yearbook, TV and radio stations
- Military and Intelligence Organizations
- Multicultural and Women’s Interest Organizations
- Fraternity and Sorority Life Organizations
- Creative, Special Interest and Honor Society Organizations
- Service and Philanthropic Organizations
Other Things to Know
Gov. Tate Reeves has issued the following executive orders related to COVID-19:
- Executive Order No. 1512 adding six counties to executive order 1509 with tighter restrictions — July 24, 2020
- Executive Order No. 1511 establishing tighter restrictions on social gatherings statewide — July 24, 2020
- Executive Order No. 1510 related to MDES Unemployment Insurance and Benefits — July 24, 2020
UMMC and MSDH are hosting mobile COVID-19 sample collection sites. The appointment-only testing is free of charge. Mississippians who want to be tested must first complete a free screening from a UMMC clinician through an online questionnaire found at umc.edu/covidscreening. Or, they can call the UMMC Center for Telehealth at (601) 496-7200 on Monday-Saturday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Anyone determined to need testing will be given an appointment date and time at the testing site most convenient.
- Weekly, Monday–Saturday: Jackson, West Street Farmers Market
- July 30: North Carrollton, JZ George High School
- July 30: Pascagoula, Jackson County Fairgrounds Civic Center
- July 31: Louisville, Crystal Ridge Facility Building
- July 31: Rolling Fork, Sharkey Issaquena Community Hospital
- August 1: Choctaw, Pearl River Community Building
- August 1: Lucedale, George County Municipal Complex
- August 3: Iuka, Tishomingo County Fairgrounds
- August 3: Batesville, Panola Medical Center
- August 4: Brookhaven, The Brookhaven Building
- August 4: New Albany, Union County Fairgrounds
For other testing locations available statewide, please visit the MSDH website. Those testing locations are not affiliated with UMMC and have their own screening and appointment processes.
On the Lighter Side
- Playing bookshelf detective via Zoom
- Hand sanitizers, an accessory of the new normal: These hand sanitizers smell good, kill germs
- The owners of a laundry shop in central Taiwan have become globally famous and Instagram stars for modeling outfits curated from the hundreds of forgotten items left behind by absent-minded customers.
Important Links
- Campus Ready: Return to Campus Plan for Fall 2020
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Campus Ready Highlight PDF
- Required “Return to Work on Campus” training for all employees
- Digital attestation of employee responsibilities
- UM COVID-19 Daily Symptom Checker
- UM confirmed COVID-19 cases among employees and students
- Student and Families FAQ Video
- Faculty and Staff FAQ Video
University studies and surveys
There are university studies and surveys underway that welcome your participation. Below is information on how you can learn about them and participate.
- Social Environment Changes during COVID-19 Quarantine
https://uofmississippi.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7Veid9lbE6wFiSh - Measurement of COVID-19 Health Impact (MOCHI): uofmississippi.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4O5zfNRsjf0zF65