The Hamilton County Health Department, in partnership with the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, is notifying the community of potential COVID-19 exposures at Kappa Sigma Fraternity House, located at 927 Vine Street, Chattanooga. Potential exposures began Saturday, August 8 and continue today, Saturday, August 15.
Case investigations revealed that UTC students and members of the community who visited or are presently residing at the fraternity house may have been and/or are currently exposed to individuals during their infectious period of COVID-19.
The UTC COVID-19 Campus Support Team is pursuing student contacts who may have had exposure. It is recommended that those who have been in contact with members of the fraternity since August 8 get tested and self-monitor for symptoms. UTC students with potential exposure are asked to complete the COVID-19 Notification Form, which can be found here and/or to call the campus office of Student Outreach and Support at (423) 425-2299.
Members of the UTC community are urged to be responsive to communication efforts by the UTC COVID-19 Campus Support Team. Cooperation with these efforts is critical to mitigate the spread of the virus.
The Hamilton County Health Department is engaged in efforts to identify and contact residents of Chattanooga and surrounding communities who may have been exposed.
“If you have been exposed to someone with the virus, you should quarantine from others for 14 days, monitor yourself for symptoms, and get tested,” said Health Department Administrator Becky Barnes.
If COVID-19 symptoms occur, do not leave your house except to visit a testing location or healthcare provider. If symptoms become worse, seek medical care quickly. Symptoms of COVID-19 may include fever, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, recent change in smell or taste, headache, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting, or other symptoms as recognized by the CDC.
“The University is taking all necessary precautions to protect the UTC community as fall semester classes begin Monday,” says UTC Chief Epidemiologist, Dawn Ford, “Months of planning and preparations at UTC have resulted in extensive health and safety protocols and precautions in place for the protection of students, faculty and staff."
In addition to contact tracing, UTC has resources and other information about what happens when a positive case of COVID-19 is reported at UTC. See the UTC website for more information.
Free Health Department COVID-19 testing is available at the following locations and times:
Alstom Plant, 1125 Riverfront Parkway, Chattanooga, TN 37402:
- Sunday, August 16 from 7AM-11AM.
- Beginning Monday, August 17, testing at the Alstom Plant is open daily from 7AM-11:30AM.
The Village Church, 2800 N Chamberlain Ave, Chattanooga, TN 37406 (the old Mt. Canaan Church):
- Sunday, August 16, 12PM-3PM
These sites are open to the public without an appointment or referral. Free transportation is available. Call the Health Department’s COVID-19 hotline at (423) 209-8383 for COVID-19 questions, or to schedule transportation to a testing site. The hotline is open Monday-Friday 8AM-4PM and Saturday 10AM-3PM.
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