Preparing for fall semester: public health guidance to keep our community safe

The following message was shared with the Ohio University community on Monday, Aug. 1, 2022.

Dear Ohio University Community Member: 

Like most of you, I am looking forward to this coming fall semester and am excited about seeing everyone back on our campuses. In order to help you prepare for the coming weeks, and to set us all up for success, I wanted to reach out to share important information regarding the University’s COVID-19 prevention and mitigation strategies for Fall Semester 2022.    

This short video provides an overview of the resources available to OHIO students, faculty, and staff to help keep ourselves and our communities healthy and safe.  

Other key information to keep in mind as you plan for the fall:

Transition of on-campus testing 

First, OHIO encourages all students, faculty and staff to test prior to the start of the semester and delay move-in or coming into the office if you are unwell or test positive. If you test positive, you must complete a COVID-19 Incident Report Form. Once you complete the form, the University will work with students to ensure you are able to navigate the first few weeks of the semester and help keep you on track to meet your educational goals.

• Incoming first-year students will receive outreach from their learning community leader, who can connect them quickly to academic support, help them connect with other students in the same classes, and refer them to other resources as needed.
• Returning students will have the opportunity to connect with a peer navigator, who can help them find similar resources.
• All students will be able to connect to expanded online academic support (e.g., tutoring) as needed.
• Any residential students testing positive for COVID should email housing@ohio.edu.   Alternative move in arrangements will be communicated for students needing to delay their return to campus due to illness.
• Students testing positive while on campus will be asked to isolate at home or an off-campus location.

Ohio University no longer offers a surveillance testing program for students and employees. If you are not feeling well, please stay home, and follow the OHIO COVID-19 Protocol for symptomatic individuals. 

• BinaxNOW rapid antigen tests are available for pickup on all OHIO campuses. These are rapid nasal swab tests, self-administered with online supervision, with results in approximately 15 minutes. Details on how to use and where to get an antigen test.
• Vault Health test kits are available for pickup on regional and extension campuses only, while supplies last. The Vault Health test is a saliva-based PCR test with results in 48-72 hours after it arrives at the lab (individual must ship test to lab after self-administering the test with online supervision via Zoom). Get details.

If you take an antigen COVID-19 self-test and it is positive, please stay home, and report the test result by submitting a COVID-19 Incident Report. If you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and get a negative result on an antigen test, you still must follow the protocol and get tested via Campus Care, urgent care, or your primary care provider because antigen tests are prone to false negatives. Please stay home and avoid others until you are feeling well enough to return to campus activities.

To prevent the spread of disease to others, follow isolation instructions. 

Mask policy

Face covering requirements on OHIO campuses are based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 Community Levels.

• High: Masks are required in all indoor public spaces on OHIO campuses.
• Medium: Masks are recommended during scheduled class and class-related activities in classrooms, laboratories, studios, clinical settings, other learning spaces, and the Child Development Center.
• Low: Masks are optional on campus.

At low and medium COVID-19 community levels, masks may still be required in some settings: 

• Clinical healthcare facilities including Campus Care
• COVID-19 testing facilities
• Where masks are not required, students, faculty, and staff who test positive or are exposed to COVID-19 must follow masking guidelines outlined in the OHIO COVID-19 Protocol.

Face covering exceptions on campuses where masks are required based on COVID-19 community level:

• Children under 2 years old.
• Any person while actively eating or drinking.
• In settings where it is not practicable or feasible to wear a face covering such as when receiving dental treatments or while swimming.
• Where working with equipment or in a process where wearing face coverings is impractical or dangerous, as determined by instructors or supervisors.
• Individuals who, due to extraordinary circumstances, claim and receive a written exemption from the University’s face covering requirement through the appropriate university process.
• Employees, students, and visitors with a disability who are unable to wear a face covering and do not receive an approved exemption may request reasonable accommodations through the Office for University Accessibility.

Following CDC protocols, community levels will be updated every Friday on the University’s mask policy page. 

Vaccinations

The University strongly encourages all students, faculty and staff to become fully vaccinated if they have not already done so and to stay up-to-date on their vaccination. Information about vaccination availability is available online at https://www.ohio.edu/coronavirus/vaccine/distribution. 

Our health and wellness protocols have been, and will continue to be, responsive to the latest trends and public health guidance. Should there be an increase in the infection rate in our community, surveillance testing and other protocols outlined at www.ohio.edu/coronavirus may resume. We will continue to communicate any changes to guidance or campus protocols, and we appreciate your understanding, flexibility, and commitment to wellbeing for every member of our community. 

For the most up-to-date information about the University’s approach to COVID-19, visit the Be Safe Bobcats website or email pho@ohio.edu.   

Sincerely,

Dr. Gillian Ice
Special Assistant to the President for Public Health Operations