The message below was sent to the community on August 29, 2021. The online version was updated (as indicated by an asterisk) on September 1, 2021.
Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,
While holding “office hours” this week to go over COVID safety guidelines, we heard some questions about what you should do when you are feeling ill. We write to emphasize that it is very important that you stay home if you are feeling ill. For vaccinated individuals, the symptoms of COVID often manifest as a sore throat, head stuffiness, and other mild cold symptoms, including a sense of head fogginess. It is important that you treat these symptoms as if they could be COVID. Please do not put others at risk by undertaking your normal activities. We therefore would like to share with you the following guidelines for what to do if you happen to feel ill:
FOR STUDENTS: Please stay in your room or at home if you are living off campus. Do not go to class, other activities, or work (please note that we are offering an allocation of paid sick time for these circumstances). If you must interact with others during this time, please wear a mask. Do not eat in the dining halls or with others in indoor spaces. Contact the Health and Wellness Center at 610-526-7360 during regular business hours; after hours, call the 24/7 MEDICAL hotline (610-517-4921) to reach a medical services provider for guidance on when you may resume activities and to arrange a test.
If you have a positive test for COVID, you will be required to isolate for 10 days, regardless of vaccination status. The College will trace campus contacts for any student testing positive and report the case to the Montgomery County Health Department.
Unvaccinated students who are identified as a close contact of a COVID-positive individual must quarantine for 10 days; quarantine can conclude earlier if they receive a negative test result from a test given 5-7 days after exposure.
In accordance with CDC guidance, vaccinated students do not need to quarantine when they are identified as a close contact of a COVID-positive individual, but they must be masked at all times when indoors for 14 days. It is also recommended that they get tested 3- 5 days after exposure.* For students living off campus in a household with a COVID-positive individual, where it is not possible for the student to isolate from the patient, that student should quarantine at home for the 10 days of the COVID-positive household member’s isolation and receive a negative COVID test near the end of that time before returning to campus.
FOR EMPLOYEES: If you feel ill, please stay home, contact your medical provider, and reach out to the Environmental Health & Safety office (610-526-5166). If your symptoms do not resolve quickly, before returning to campus, you will need to have a negative COVID test and your symptoms should be largely resolved. A negative COVID test does not mean that you will not develop COVID, so it is important that both the test and your health warrant a return to campus.
If you do have a positive test for COVID, you will be required to isolate for 10 days, regardless of vaccination status (meaning staying off campus and not having in-person contact with a BMC community member). If you are feeling well enough, and you and your supervisor have agreed that you can work or teach from home, you can do so. Faculty who are teaching remotely should also notify Tim Harte. The College will trace campus contacts for any employee testing positive and report the case to the Montgomery County Health Department.
Employees who are ill should use their sick time. Given the unique circumstances of the COVID pandemic, for the time being the College will continue to pay you for your scheduled hours even if you run out of sick time; we will allow your accrued sick bank to run a negative balance temporarily to ensure your expected pay amount is maintained.
Unvaccinated employees who are identified as a close contact of a COVID-positive individual must quarantine for 10 days; the quarantine can conclude earlier if they receive a negative test result from a test given 5-7 days after exposure.
In accordance with CDC guidance, vaccinated people do not need to quarantine when they are identified as a close contact of a COVID-positive individual, but they must be masked at all times on campus when indoors for 14 days. It is also recommended that they get tested 3- 5 days after exposure.* However, if an employee is living in a household with a COVID-positive individual, where it is not possible for the employee to isolate from the patient, that employee should quarantine at home for the 10 days of the COVID-positive family member’s isolation and receive a negative COVID test near the end of that time before returning to work. Please contact the Environmental Health & Safety office (610-526-5166) for further quarantine details. For their own health and that of others, all close contacts should monitor themselves carefully for symptoms.
Whether vaccinated or unvaccinated, if an employee is required by the College to quarantine, then (with supervisor approval) the employee should work from home if they are able. If an employee is not able to work from home, the College is providing additional paid time off specifically designated for quarantining; a required quarantine does not impact vacation or sick balances.
Many of us have allergies or other physical conditions that mean that we routinely experience COVID-like symptoms. We understand that determining when your symptoms may be COVID is challenging, but we ask that you err on the side of caution to protect the health of every member of the community, particularly those who are vulnerable and/or who care for those who are vulnerable. We also know that this approach may create challenges for your coursework, service delivery, and productivity. We are all in this together, and we will make it work with collaboration, support, and patience. Thank you for all that you are doing to support the health and well-being of those who live, learn, and work at Bryn Mawr.
Sincerely,
Operations Planning Group
Don Abramowitz
Nina Bisbee
Kim Cassidy
Kari Fazio
Reggie Jones
Beth Kotarski
Angie Sheets
Jennifer Walters