July 14, 2020

1. Important Guidance for Travel

Please read the important guidance below regarding domestic and international travel as the situation for COVID-19 continues to evolve and we are working to ensure the continued safety and communication with all members of our community who are traveling abroad: 

• Employees who have traveled within or through a country at CDC Warning Level 3 will not be allowed to return to campus or engage in any UTHSC activities until a 14-day quarantine has been completed. 
• While the campus has not restricted domestic travel, employees should be cautious when traveling to states with high COVID-19 outbreaks. Strict adherence to CDC guidelines should be followed.

Employees are encouraged to monitor CDC and US Department of State travel advisories for up-to-date information related to travel safety. These resources can be found at the following links: 

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• US Department of State

As a reminder, the risk of contracting this illness has increased in the United States as well as abroad. To prevent the spread of many infections, please practice good respiratory hygiene, including frequent hand washing, covering coughs and sneezes, and staying home while you are sick.

Your safety, well-being, and ability to continue your regular university activities remain the highest priorities for the entire leadership of UTHSC.

2. Fitness Center and SAC to Remain Closed

With the rise of COVID-19 cases across Tennessee, in Shelby County, and on campus, the UTHSC Fitness Center and the Student-Alumni Center will continue to be closed through at least the next two weeks.

The COVID-19 testing site in the gymnasium behind the SAC will remain open.

The tentative reopening date is August 1, however Campus Recreation will continue to monitor the local and statewide COVID-19 situation in case that date should be pushed back. The safety of students and employees on campus is our top priority.

If you have any questions, please contact Campus Recreation at 901.448.5973. 

3. COVID-19 Testing Available on Memphis Campus

A COVID-19 testing site has been set up on the Memphis campus in the Student-Alumni Center (SAC) gymnasium at 800 Madison Ave. The gymnasium is located on the backside of the SAC and patients should enter via the breezeway, and not through the front door of the SAC.

The SAC testing site is open Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays 12:00 – 4:00 pm and Saturdays 1:00 – 3:00 pm with no appointment necessary for faculty, staff, and students. Spouses, family members, and friends of UTHSC faculty, staff, and students cannot be tested at the SAC location and should go to the Tiger Lane mobile testing site. The SAC testing site is closed on holidays.

The SAC testing site is for those who are asymptomatic (no symptoms) and have had no known exposure to COVID-19.

Those with symptoms or who may have been exposed to COVID-19 may continue to be tested at the Tiger Lane mobile testing site or any other UCH mobile testing sites by texting “COVID” to 901.203.5526. Test results will take about 48 hours to be returned to the patient.

4. Virtual Power Walk on July 18 with Dress For Success  

Join the UTHSC Women’s Resource Group, on Saturday, July 18, as we collaborate with Dress For Success for an all-day Virtual Power Walk! At any time during the day, participants may engage in running, walking, jogging, jumping, biking, rollerblading, etc. from the safety of their own home, outdoors, or wherever they like. The distance is optional and there will be opportunities to take virtual walks, stretch, and meditate with inspiring women.

Prizes will be awarded to individuals and teams for best costumes, best photo, furthest distance, and top fundraiser.

REGISTRATION FOR THE VIRTUAL POWER WALK IS FREE!

Upon registration, you will receive a welcome email with a Digital Toolkit complete with everything you will need. Make sure to tag @dressforsuccess in a photo/video of you walking, running, biking, rollerblading, etc. (and if you’re competing for distance, a screenshot of the distance recorded).

Together, we will help women move forward one step at a time!

If you have any questions, please email Tarlesha Gales at tgales@uthsc.edu.

5. Cybersecurity Alert: Fake Zoom Account Suspension Alerts

The Office of Cybersecurity in Information Technology Services has received reports through numerous sites about a phishing attempt targeting Office 365 users with a fake Zoom account suspension alert.

The fake alerts spoof an official Zoom email address that are designed to impersonate a legitimate automated Zoom notification and have landed in over 50,000 mailboxes. There are no grammar mistakes, which paired with detailed Zoom-like graphics, make it look legitimate enough to be believed.

The victims are informed that they will not be able to join any calls and meetings until they re-activate their accounts and that they need to click the “Activate Account” button. However, it redirects the recipients to a fake Microsoft login page through a hijacked website. The landing page asks the victim to enter their Office 365 credentials.

Other phishing scams reported to abuse@uthsc.edu this week:

• “We have charged you $299” – This phish was letting the person know that their 1-year subscription to Windows Defender had ended and “the account” had been charged. The person is supposed to call a phone number “within 2 days” to get it resolved. Windows Defender is part of the Windows operating system and is not an add-on fee!
• Dr. Marie Chisholm-Burns was the spoofed Dean of the week. Emails coming from a Gmail account were asking if people were available to buy gift cards.
• PRIVATE REQUEST – Phishing scam wanting to give the user $17,500,000 dollars for the less privileged. They asked for banking information so they can transfer the money.
• DONATION – like the one above, a mega jackpot winner wants to share his $768 million winnings. They asked for an email back for acceptance of your share.

Report any suspicious UTHSC communication to abuse@uthsc.edu. We can investigate and let you know if it is a phish or a legitimate email.