Spring quarter COVID-19 updates and reminders

Dear students,

We’re writing today with 5 updates and reminders about COVID-19 testing, masking, and what to do if you are experiencing symptoms or test positive. These updates and reminders are based on county public health guidance and current campus COVID conditions, and summarized on this website, which we update regularly.

1 – Our surveillance testing requirements for students who are fully vaccinated and boosted have been suspended. This means students in this category are not required to test weekly with Color at this time.

2 – Students who are not fully vaccinated and boosted are required to test twice weekly with Color. Beginning April 17, students in this group who do not test with Color may receive a red badge on Health Check, and may be unable to enter some indoor spaces such as labs, classrooms, and offices.

3 – Color tests remain available to all students at these locations. Rapid antigen tests are also available for pickup at the AFDC Color site. These university-provided tests are for your use should you learn you’ve been in close contact with someone who tested positive, you’re experiencing symptoms, or you’re not fully vaccinated and boosted and therefore required to test twice weekly. Here’s more information on exposure and symptomatic testing.

4 – Here’s what you need to know about COVID-19 and our dining halls.

• Meal delivery will be provided by the university for students who test positive for COVID-19 and live on campus. If you have COVID-19 symptoms, test immediately. Here’s what to do if you test positive.
• If you are in quarantine based on our COVID exposure and symptomatic testing guidance, you may mask up (KN95 mask preferred), go to the dining hall, select your meal, and then take your plate outdoors or to your room to eat physically distanced from others. Please return your plate.
• If you are severely symptomatic, don’t feel well enough to leave your room, and test negative for COVID-19, reach out to a Resident Director or Graduate Life Office Dean for assistance.

5 – Masking remains required inside classrooms, at Vaden Health Center, and on public transportation, including Marguerite buses. Masking indoors continues to be strongly recommended on-campus, regardless of vaccination status. Here’s more information on the university’s current masking guidance.

In closing, in addition to thanking all of you for doing your best to keep campus as safe and healthy as possible, we would like to reassure you that we have plans in place should we see a substantial increase of positive cases among students. We recently created a tier structure to streamline communications around isolation housing. You’ll find more information on the tiers here.

Best wishes for spring quarter!

Sincerely,

Mona Hicks
Senior Associate Vice Provost and Dean of Students

Dr. Jim Jacobs
Associate Vice Provost and Executive Director, Vaden Health Services