April 7, 2020

Dear UAPB Community,

We have learned that three University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff employees have been diagnosed with the coronavirus (COVID-19). There are now four confirmed cases within our campus community. The first person in our community who tested positive continues to improve in isolation.

The employees notified their supervisors over the last few days that they tested positive but had not been on campus since March 27. The employees suspected that they contracted the virus, and as a result, self-quarantined. The Arkansas Department of Health will conduct contact tracing to notify those who may have been exposed. The employees’ work areas have also been sanitized.
UAPB had already taken steps to minimize exposure to coronavirus by moving to essential employees only on campus. In fact, public safety and the facilities department are the only departments with employees on campus. The overwhelming majority of faculty and staff are working remotely.

Please join me in keeping these employees and the UAPB community in your thoughts and prayers. And while these are challenging and abnormal times for us all, we ask that you continue to be vigilant and practice social distancing, wear a mask when you cannot socially distance if you must be out in public, and wash your hands frequently with soap and water or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

If you have any questions, please send them to uapbcares@uapb.edu or call (870) 575-HELP.

UAPB will continue to monitor the situation and update you as information becomes available.


Sincerely,

Laurence B. Alexander, J.D., Ph.D.
Chancellor