COVID-19 Quarantine Guidance
In order to love our neighbor and limit the spread of Covid-19 on campus as well as to follow CDC guidance, the following policy will be in place until further notice is given:
If an unvaccinated student or employee has had direct contact with a person who has been diagnosed with Covid-19, that person is asked to quarantine for the recommended 10-day period.
- “Direct Contact” is defined as close proximity (less than 6 feet), or direct physical contact with a person who has COVID-19 for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more during a 24 hour period starting from 2 days before the illness onset.
- Those who are vaccinated or those who have tested positive for Covid-19 within the last 3 months do not need to quarantine unless they are showing symptoms currently.
- Students or employees with direct contact and no symptoms can receive a rapid test no earlier than day 5 after exposure. If that test is negative, the remainder of the quarantine period is lifted.
In order to facilitate a healthy campus, Students, Faculty, and Staff are encouraged to be vaccinated and we expect community members to practice good hygiene.
Should exposure requiring quarantine happen:
- Students should notify their faculty members via campus email and coordinate to participate in a Zoom portion of class if available until the quarantine is lifted.
- Faculty and staff should report their exposure to their immediate supervisor. MSBBC&S will evaluate the situation and work with the employee for the best course of action to maintain productivity during the quarantine period.
- Testing after direct contact should take place on the 5th day after the direct contact as defined in this policy. Testing is necessary for lifting of the quarantine expectation with the following exceptions:
- Those who have been vaccinated do not need to quarantine or be tested following direct contact.
- Those who have tested positive for Covid-19 within the last 3 months do not need to quarantine or be tested following direct contact as long as they do not develop symptoms again. If symptoms do reappear, testing may be required.
Quarantine is never desired, but it is necessary to help maintain the health of our campus community. We will work together with grace and flexibility as we walk through this together.