Latest communications

COVID-19 cases are increasing significantly in the St. Louis region and on our campus. Did you know that eating with others is the main driver of this transmission in our campus community?

As we approach the final weeks of the fall semester, it is now time to turn our attention to spring, and what the next semester will look like at Washington University.

With the current increase of COVID-19 cases on campus and in the St. Louis region, we want to inform you that we are preparing to implement new dining guidelines, beginning next week.

Because of the increased risk of COVID-19 transmission due to personal interactions around the holiday, undergraduate students who choose to travel more than 60 miles outside of the St. Louis region will not be allowed to return to campus for the remainder of the fall semester.

We are now heading into what could be a pivotal time period, and perhaps now more than ever, we must remain nimble and be prepared to shift our strategy.

For many of us, Thanksgiving is a time to get together with our loved ones and give thanks for the many good things in our lives, even in these difficult times. This year will need to be different in order for us to keep our families and community safe.

While we continue to monitor our financial situation closely, at this time we believe we are in a strong enough position to move forward with some positive steps to restore employee benefits.

The university alert level is currently orange. The change from yellow is an indicator that while conditions on campus remain stable, regional trends are of concern, with an increasing number of cases and higher levels of community spread of COVID-19.

As you are aware, we have had to make some difficult decisions since this spring in response to COVID-19, many of which have had a direct impact on our faculty and staff. These steps were taken based on the information we had at the time, and now that we’re getting a clearer picture of our financial situation, we are cautiously optimistic that our outlook is improving.

Bring your health-related COVID-19 questions to tonight’s “Ask the Doctors” town hall. Drs. Steve Lawrence and Cheri LeBlanc will share the latest updates and guidance in this informative session.