SIU held its third community COVID-19 safety update Friday.
SIU Chancellor Austin Lane led a virtual panel presentation to update the community on the university’s COVID-19 safety measures.
An array of topics, advice and implementing safety regulations was covered from the Jackson County Health Department, SIU Department of Public Safety, College Deans, School of Medicine and more.
One of the biggest topics covered is the new variants of COVID-19.
SIU School of Medicine Dean Jerry Kruse says current research is showing the vaccines are still effective against these new strains.
“One of the really good things about the vaccines is that in all of the studies almost 100,000 patients have received a vaccine now, they’re overall infection rate is 90% lower than without the vaccine and those few that do get COVID in those entire studies not one of them has died and only a handful have been hospitalized.”
Jackson County Health Department officials say the county receives around 1,100 per week and almost 7,000 people have received at least one dose.
