VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE
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Aerial photo of post with logo and text of COVID-19 Info Portal

The health and safety of the corps of cadets, faculty, and staff is our top priority.

Leaders across post continue to monitor COVID-19 as it impacts our Institute, our community, and our visitors. Many Institute officials have been active in the COVID-19 response for the last two academic years and some of those responsibilities will remain in place, but some have been minimized or removed altogether.

As the new academic year approaches, we will work together to keep the health and safety of cadets, faculty, staff, and visitors as a priority, while adapting to the changes the pandemic presents in a work and academic environment.

As the 2022-23 academic year approaches, the following policies and procedures will be in place, effective immediately. Keep in mind that policies and procedures may change in accordance with updated guidelines from state and federal health officials.



 

 

Health & Safety

Managing, Reporting, and Posting COVID-19 Cases

  1. For VMI employees, it is no longer required (but highly encouraged) to report a positive COVID-19 test for you or one of your family members to the Emergency Manager.
  2. Primary care providers and many pharmacies offer testing. The Virginia Department of Health provides information for COVID test locations in our community. At-home COVID-19 tests are available at various retailers. At-home COVID tests are also available free of charge through the U.S. Postal Service.
  3. While it is not required to report a positive test result, employees should isolate for at least five days since the onset of symptoms or a positive test in accordance with CDC guidelines, and to notify close contacts. Wear a mask when you leave home until the 10th day. 
  4. Do not come to your office or attend any events, meetings, or classes for as long as you have symptoms. 
  5. The Public Health Emergency Leave (PHEL) is no longer offered. Use sick time or other appropriate leave. If you feel able to work and you have the capability to work remotely, please coordinate those arrangements with your supervisor.
  6. Faculty who feel well enough to teach classes remotely while in isolation may do so. Otherwise, faculty shall either reschedule any missed classes or they shall make arrangements with their department head’s approval to have another faculty member teach in their place.
  7. VMI will not have a COVID-19 dashboard on its website. Any significant COVID-19 policy changes will be communicated on this page. 

 Managing the Risk of COVID-19

  1. VMI strongly encourages COVID-19 vaccination and boosters. The Vaccinate Virginia website has details on each vaccine and locations to get vaccinated. 
  2. Those who are a close contact to someone who has COVID-19 should follow CDC guidance regarding quarantining and masking.
  3. Masking is not required anywhere on post except in the VMI infirmary when someone is displaying symptoms, but it’s always welcome to those who prefer to wear a mask.
  4. At their discretion, faculty may require cadets to wear masks in the classroom.  Therefore, cadets are required to keep a mask with them during the academic day. 

When Cadets Test Positive for COVID-19

  1. Cadets who test positive for COVID-19 will not attend classes for at least five days. They will follow the appropriate guidelines given to them by the VMI Infirmary for isolation and masking. 
  2. Faculty will accommodate cadets who are unable to attend class due to isolation or quarantine.  Cadets who are instructed to isolate or quarantine by the VMI Infirmary shall make arrangements with their professors to attend class remotely or make an alternative plan for the time they are in isolation or quarantine.

 

Photo of Moe and cadet EMT with banner stating #CorpsHealth

COVID-19 Booster and Vaccine Clinics:

There are currently no clinics coordinated with VMI scheduled. In the meantime, you can search for clinics in your area on the Virginia Department of Health VASE+ Vaccine Appointment Scheduling Engine. The federal government provides a VaccineFinder and a system for ordering free at-home tests.

In order to establish normalcy for the VMI experience, over the last year VMI implemented a suite of procedures and policies allowing us to be successful in our response to COVID-19. As a result of this success and new guidance from the state, VMI adjusted its COVID-19 vaccination policy from requiring COVID-19 vaccinations to highly encouraging COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters for  incoming and existing cadets enrolled at VMI.

All policies continue to be reviewed and will be communicated as any changes are made.

International cadets with questions or concerns regarding vaccine availability should contact VMI’s Office of International Programs.

For contracted cadets in VMI’s ROTC programs, the U.S. military branches do require them to be fully vaccinated. No boosters are required at this time. Religious and medical waivers are able to be requested, and must be routed and approved through the branch of service. There is no guarantee the waivers will be granted.

For questions that are not addressed here, please contact the Office of Emergency Management at emergencymanager@vmi.edu, or the post infirmary at infirmary@vmi.edu or 540-464-7218.

Vaccines are free, and clinics remain active in the Lexington community and across the country. Cadets and members of the VMI community can also receive alerts about available vaccine clinics by signing up for the Alert Rockbridge Program.

Photo of Moe and cadet EMT with banner stating #CorpsHealth

 

 



 

Case & Operations Dashboard

The COVID-19 weekly dashboard graphics and information were removed from the website as of May 18, 2022. VMI continues to monitor the coronavirus impact to the post, Rockbridge, and Lexington communities. VMI will provide testing as needed and work with local partners on vaccine opportunities. 



 

Community Information

Up-to-date information about public events can be found on the VMI Calendar. If your event is not listed there, it is still scheduled to occur as planned. For more information about events that have been changed or cancelled, contact the office responsible for the event: 

 

Lexington Coronavirus Information

COVID-19 information, including mask directives and updates from the mayor, is available from the City of Lexington.



 

FAQs & Resources

Answer: Please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) sites dedicated to Coronavirus information. Links to official government resources can be found below.
Answer: Event updates or changes to hours or operations of VMI facilities will be featured on our website as soon as we are alerted of changes. For more information about events that have been changed or cancelled, contact the office responsible for the event:
Answer: For any additional questions or concerns, please contact coronavirus@vmi.edu. Please allow up to 72 hours for response.

Official Government Resources

image of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)