COVID-19 Weekly Update

Austin Peay's Weekly COVID-19 Update

Friday, Feb. 26, 2021

COVID-19 Vaccine at APSU

On Tuesday, March 2, Austin Peay State University’s nursing faculty and students will officially begin administering the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to members of the Montgomery County community. The University will dispense the vaccine following Tennessee’s phased vaccination plan, and members of the APSU community who meet the current phase’s criteria are encouraged to sign up for an appointment through this link.

The Tennessee Department of Health recently designated Austin Peay as a standalone vaccination site within Montgomery County, which means vaccine appointments need to be made with the University through the link above. After someone requests an appointment, they’ll receive additional information on when to arrive at Austin Peay. The University will operate a drive-through vaccination site in parking lot 11, next to the Ard Building.

Individuals registered to receive a vaccination must enter lot 11 by traveling east on Main Street. Traffic will not be allowed to enter from University Avenue.

Vaccine Standby List

The University is developing a standby list for faculty and staff in case we have doses that are in danger of going unused at the end of a day due to vacant appointments.

If you are not in a high-risk category, please consider waiting to receive your dose until the state begins vaccinating your age group’s phase. The standby list is intended for high-risk individuals, but being on the standby list does not guarantee you will receive a vaccine early.

To sign up for the standby list, please fill out this form. A random number generator will pick 10 individuals, identified only through A numbers, to be on standby the next day. If you’re selected for this list, you’ll receive further instructions about getting the vaccine from the University.

However, there is a strong chance most individuals on the list will not receive a vaccine because we anticipate having very few, if any, extra doses on a given day.

Testing Information

At APSU, we care about your health and wellbeing. For this reason, it is important that all COVID-19 testing be conducted using PCR methods. Why? Because antigen testing, often referred to as rapid testing, can be highly inaccurate. Some research demonstrates that antigen tests are only 48% accurate -- nearly the same accuracy as flipping a coin. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend anyone who obtains a negative antigen (rapid) test be retested using PCR methods to confirm their results.

PCR testing methods are the standard at APSU. Boyd Health Services collects samples using this method between 9:30 a.m.-noon, Monday-Friday, for any APSU member who is symptomatic, who has been exposed to someone who is COVID-19 positive, or who is a member of a formal surveillance testing program. The Montgomery County Health Department also collects samples for using this same methodology between 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Monday-Friday.

Drive-thru testing is available Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-noon, at Boyd Health Services. It is recommended that visitors use this option whenever possible. Simply remain in your vehicle upon arrival and follow the signs. To save time, create an account at www.everlywell.com/register before coming.

Moderate Risk Level

Wear a Mask

Face coverings are required in all indoor common areas.

Wash Hands

To prevent the spread of germs, wash your hands often.

6 Feet Apart
Remember to socially distance on campus.

The numbers provided are active cases being tracked by University administration. Our data is reliant upon students, faculty and staff filling out the COVID-19 form on the APSU COVID-19 Website, http://www.apsu.edu/coronavirus.