COVID Policy Reminders for October Break

We hope you are well and getting excited for a few days off next week for October Break.  It has been an exciting start to the semester with so many activities and opportunities to join together, back on campus.  In anticipation of some members of the community traveling off-campus for this upcoming weekend, we wanted to send out reminders about our COVID Protocols.

During October Break residence halls remain open and the meal plan is in effect.  Please refer to the Dining Services webpage for any changes in facility hours. To plan ahead, you can review housing and dining availability for other break periods on the Residential Life’s Break Housing page.

Test before you go 

To protect your family and friends, we encourage you to get a COVID test 36-48 hours before leaving campus.  This will allow you to get your test result prior to leaving campus.  As a reminder, the testing hours this week are as follows:

  • Tuesday 10/5 8:30 am – 4:15 pm (closed 12 pm – 1 pm)
  • Wednesday 10/6 8:30 am – 4:15 pm (closed 12 pm – 1 pm)
  • Thursday 10/7 8:30 am – 4:15 pm (closed 12 pm – 1 pm)

Test as soon as you get back

As a reminder of current travel guidelines: All fully vaccinated students who engage in personal travel should resume their normal testing cadence upon returning to campus.  So long as you are asymptomatic, you may resume normal campus activities without waiting for the result.

All unvaccinated students who engage in personal travel must be PCR tested within one day of your return from travel, and again 3-5 days after returning from travel.  So long as you are asymptomatic and have no known exposure to an infected person, you may resume in-person work and academic activities while following college masking and physical distancing policies.  For at least 7 days from the date of return, and until you receive both negative test results, avoid unmasked, close social activity, including social gatherings and dining with others.

As a reminder, the testing hours for next week are as follows:

  • Tuesday, 10/12 8:30 am – 4:15 pm (closed 12 pm – 1 pm)
  • Wednesday, 10/13 8:30 am – 4:15 pm (closed 12 pm – 1 pm)
  • Thursday, 10/14 8:30 am – 4:15 pm (closed 12 pm – 1 pm)
  • Friday, 10/15 8:30 am – 4:15 pm (closed 12 pm – 1 pm)

Campus Policies

With the Flu and Cold season upon us, and with the changing of the weather, we want to remind you of specific policies that have been implemented to keep the community safe.  Be sure to do your part and be accountable for following these important protocols.

  • Testing: All community members on campus are required to test once weekly.  For those who may be unvaccinated or under-vaccinated, it is expected that they will test twice weekly and not on back-to-back days.
  • Masks: All persons on campus are required to wear a mask or face covering in any indoor space, including residence halls, dining facilities when not actively eating or drinking, classrooms, laboratories, and other instructional spaces, regardless of their vaccinated status. We have received an increasing number of reports recently that masks are not being worn appropriately inside as the policy outlines.
  • Symptom Screening: Community members must complete the daily symptom check in order to receive a “cleared” status in the CoVerified app before coming to campus or leaving their residence hall each day. Students who are experiencing symptoms, regardless of vaccination status, should stay in their room, report symptoms in CoVerified, and contact Norton Medical Center to discuss the next steps.

Whether you are leaving or staying on campus, we hope you have a safe, relaxing, and enjoyable October Break!  

Be well and stay safe,

Zachary Irish, Associate Vice President for Student Affairs
Sarah Coakley, Associate Director for College Health Administration

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