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| August 23, 2021 |
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| Dear Colleagues, |
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| We wanted to let you know the protocol for responding to a person who tests positive for COVID-19 or is determined to be a close contact to a person who tested positive. This document is comprehensive by design, as we want to be responsive and proactive to questions that might arise. |
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| If a person tests positive for COVID-19 or has been a close contact to someone with the virus, and was in an office, classroom or lab environment at the time of the notification, here is the process to follow: |
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| If a person tests positive: |
- Employees should notify their supervisor and students should notify their instructor that they need to isolate and cannot be at work or at school in person. Individuals will need to contact the HEAL line for further instructions.
- All positive individuals, regardless of vaccination status, must isolate for 10 days.
- For employees, this means they will need to go home.
- For on-campus residential students, this means they will need to be moved to isolation housing. For students living off campus, they may choose to move to a hotel or their permanent address, if isolating at their current residence is not an option.
- Staff from the University Health Center will initiate Early Contact Identification to ensure that individuals on campus who are close contacts to the positive case are notified swiftly. Notification will be provided to individuals who may have been in close contact with the positive individual (Level I communication), as well as those who were in a shared space but were not in close contact (Level II communication). The Prince George's Health Department will follow up with formal contact tracing of positive individuals.
- If the employee's supervisor has approved the position as telework eligible, and the employee feels well enough to work, they can telework.
- Staff who are in positions that are not telework eligible, as defined by their supervisor, and/or staff who do not feel able to work will need to use Sick Leave.
- Students who are in isolation will need to make arrangements with their instructor regarding class attendance and assignments.
- Individuals in isolation are exempt from the campus testing requirement while they remain in isolation.
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| If a person is a close contact: |
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| Definition of Close Contact: When you are within six feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24 hour period (for example, 1 continuous 15 minute exposure or 3 separate 5 minute exposures over 24 hours). This definition applies regardless of whether one or both parties were wearing a mask. |
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If the close contact is Not Fully Vaccinated
- Close contacts who are Not Fully Vaccinated must quarantine for 10 days.
- For employees, this means they will need to go home.
- For residential students, this means they will need to be moved to quarantine housing. For students living off campus, they may choose to move to a hotel or to their permanent address, if quarantining at their current residence is not an option.
- If the employee's supervisor has approved the position as telework eligible, and the employee feels well enough to work, they can telework.
- Staff who are in positions that are not telework eligible, as defined by their supervisor, and/or staff who do not feel able to work will need to use Sick Leave.
- Students who are in quarantine will need to make arrangements with their instructor regarding class attendance and assignments.
- Individuals in quarantine are exempt from the campus testing requirement while they remain in quarantine.
If the close contact is Fully Vaccinated
- Close contacts who are Fully Vaccinated and do not have any symptoms of COVID-19 do not have to quarantine and may remain at the workplace or in the classroom.
- They will need to continue to wear a mask indoors at all times.
- They will need to be tested between 3-5 days post-exposure.
- They can present to the stadium testing site or be tested on their own and submit their results through return.umd.edu.
- They may continue working or studying in person while awaiting their results.
- If their test is positive, they need to isolate for 10 days from the date of the positive test (refer to section on individuals who are positive)
- They must continuously monitor for symptoms and remain 6-foot distanced from others while removing their mask to eat and drink, until they receive a negative test result.
- They must isolate and report for testing if they develop any symptoms of COVID-19.
- The Health Center staff leading the Early Contact Identification will facilitate the process of contacting those who are defined as a close contact.
The process for responding to students living in our on-campus residence halls, university-owned and off-campus fraternity and sorority houses, etc., has been communicated to Student Affairs staff who will be responsive to such matters.
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| Please note that during the Early Contact Identification process, we will reinstate the Level I and Level II communication process as we did last year. All those who were exposed/close contacts will be notified via a Level I communication. All those who were in a shared space, but not exposed, will receive a Level II communication and will be encouraged to self-monitor. By utilizing the exceptional systems and processes we have in place, we can avoid closing offices. |
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| Please make this information available to other supervisors, leaders and managers in your area of responsibility. They should know to reach out to their leadership and/or University Human Resources should they have questions or concerns about the work environment. |
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| Should you have any questions or concerns about these processes, please contact healthconcerns@umd.edu. |
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| Sincerely, |
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Patty Perillo
Vice President for Student Affairs
She/Her/Hers |
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Spyridon S. Marinopoulos, MD, MBA, FACP
Director, University Health Center
Chief Medical Officer, University of Maryland
He/Him/His |
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