Spring 2022: Further details on operations

Dear University of Rochester community,

As a follow-up to our December 23 message, we want to provide further details on how we are currently planning for the return to Eastman and River Campuses next week, and how we anticipate spring semester operations will look. The public health situation here continues to evolve, so we will continue to keep you posted if circumstances change.

Since we last wrote, the Rochester area and many locations throughout the country have continued to see a surge in COVID-19 cases as a result of the omicron variant, setting new daily records on several days. Our optimism—based on University of Rochester Medical Center guidance, and county and national data—is that this surge represents the peak of omicron infections in Rochester and that new case numbers will soon subside, allowing us to safely resume our spring academic schedule in-person and on time. Moving forward in this way also aligns with Governor Kathy Hochul’s recent omicron guidance.

Here is what is staying the same:

• All undergraduate and graduate students should plan to return to campus as scheduled;
• Classes will begin, in person, as scheduled;
• We will conduct orientation for the cohort of new students as scheduled;
• Research activities will continue to be conducted in person, following COVID safety measures (vaccination, masking);
• Intercollegiate athletics events will continue, in keeping with current NCAA guidance;
• River Campus and Eastman Dining Services will be fully operational with many Grab & Go options.

Here are some changes in the near-term:

• All instructional faculty must be masked in class, regardless of the distance between the instructor and the students, until February 1;
• All student extracurricular activities will be held virtually until February 1; all other planned activities, such as lectures and conferences, are strongly encouraged to be moved to online when possible, for the month of January;
• The Rettner Hall COVID testing site on River Campus will only be testing unvaccinated faculty, staff, and students who have exemptions—those individuals required to participate in weekly surveillance testing—and symptomatic students as directed by University Health Service (UHS).

The University has also received approval from Monroe County for our revised isolation policy, which will help us maximize our space and support services for an increased student population needing isolation. Effective immediately, students who test positive for COVID-19 will be required to isolate for a minimum of five days and will be released from isolation upon receipt of a negative rapid antigen test result or a full 10-day isolation. If the result of a rapid antigen test on Day 5 is positive, individuals may take a second rapid antigen test on Day 7. If the antigen test on Day 7 is negative, the individual can be released from isolation at that time. In the event the result is still positive, individuals must complete the full 10-day isolation period.

More detailed information about the new isolation guidelines, including guidance for on-campus and off-campus isolation, is available on the University’s COVID-19 Resource website.

In order for all of this planning and these new policies to be successful, we truly do need your help—more than ever—to keep the University of Rochester community safe and healthy this semester. We want to avoid class disruptions, students having to spend time in isolation, and staffing shortages because we know this impacts our University operations and our research and learning activities. We’re all experiencing pandemic fatigue of some sort, but we are asking everyone to continue to be vigilant, not only to protect yourself, but also to protect the others in our community, both on campus and off. There’s no arguing that two years of masking and testing has been hard, but now more than ever, we must–and we can–get through this together!

What is needed now:

Students: If you have not done so already, get your booster shot before returning to campus if you are eligible. The CDC has recently reduced the recommended length of time following the second of a two-vaccination Pfizer series from 6 months to 5 months, so please check your eligibility. The CDC has a helpful resource page on vaccine booster shots.

Vaccinating, boosting, and masking are the best protections against the omicron variant and they are required for all students. You can find booster vaccination locations in your area by checking www.vaccines.gov. For students who are unable to get the booster before arriving on campus for the spring semester, UHS will provide guidance on how to get the vaccine upon arrival, which likely will include directing students to one of the Rochester-area sites where the booster is available: the Monroe County Mass Vaccination Site and the Finger Lakes Vaccine Hub. When the spring semester begins, the University will begin to send notices to students who are eligible to receive the booster but who have not yet done so.

• Upload: All students who have received the booster should upload an image of their vaccine card to UHSConnect (instructions on the site). Please upload the front and back of the card that contains your name, date of birth, the vaccine manufacturer, vaccine lot number, and dates of all dose(s) received.

Students with questions regarding vaccinations should contact UHS at uhscovid19@uhs.rochester.edu or (585) 275-2662.

COVID Test: Additionally, all students living in University housing who have been away from campus for the winter break must show a negative COVID-19 test (within the past 72 hours) when returning to campus, or show proof of having COVID within the past 90 days. This testing requirement applies to first-time students, as well.

Please note a change from the Spring 2022 update: A message to students, faculty, and staff we sent last month: There will be no testing options on campus for arriving students, so please plan ahead and get tested before you return to campus.

• Upload: All students who have received their COVID test should upload the following to UHSConnect: image of the test result, full name, date of birth, and date/time that the test was completed (written on the test or another document).

If you receive a positive COVID test, you must complete a 10-day isolation period at home, starting from the date of the positive test. We will be ready to welcome you in person when you have recovered from COVID.

There is one additional change from our Spring 2022 update message: Students who remained on campus during the winter break do not need to have a negative COVID test.

Faculty and Staff: The University strongly encourages all faculty and staff to receive the booster when eligible. Additionally, instructional faculty should plan to remain masked in class for the month of January and be prepared to provide virtual learning and classroom support to any student who is unable to attend classes due to COVID restrictions. It’s essential that the learning process continue for students who may be in isolation or quarantine, and we greatly appreciate everyone’s help in this regard. The Provost’s Office will be sending a separate message to faculty with helpful information on planning and executing online access for students who are in isolation.

What is needed during the semester:

Dr. Chat Bot: We know that Dr. Chat Bot use has waned with all of the ebbs and flows of COVID over the past two years, but in the spring semester we are requiring daily Dr. Chat Bot participation for everyone on a University property. The data we gather every day is essential to our understanding of the presence of COVID on campus, which in turn is essential to our operational decision-making. Morning emails will continue to serve as reminders to complete the quick health screening each day, and students who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms should use Dr. Chat Bot to report them to UHS in order to get tested quickly. Dr. Chat Bot is also available through the UR Mobile app.

Continue to Make Smart Personal Decisions: Everyone is asked to keep up the good practices that help keep themselves and everyone around them safe and healthy, such as masking while indoors (a University requirement), avoiding large unmasked gatherings, and washing your hands frequently. Wear a face mask everywhere you can to protect yourself and others from infection. New research suggests that N95 or KN95 masks are the most effective for preventing omicron transmission. These type of masks are readily available through pharmacies and online outlets, such as Amazon. Students are strongly encouraged to use these instead of cloth masks, or to double mask, for the greatest COVID protection.

If You Develop Any COVID-19 Symptoms:

• Students: Report them through Dr. Chat Bot immediately in order to be tested.
• Employees: Contact your primary care provider to arrange for testing and treatment; the Rettner Hall Caswood testing site is not available for symptomatic employee testing.

Due to our rapidly changing public health environment, there’s every chance that our University protocols may change in the coming weeks. It’s difficult to predict what, if any, changes we may need to make, but we appreciate your patience and flexibility in the midst of this uncertainty. If we need to make any changes in protocols or operations, we will let you know as soon as possible. In the meantime, we hope you had a restful break. We’re looking forward to a happy, healthy 2022, and to welcoming you back for the spring semester.

As always, we are grateful to everyone for their persistence, resilience, hard work, and sacrifice during these unsettled times. Together, we will make it through this adversity and continue to learn, discover, heal, and create.

Sincerely,

Sarah C. Mangelsdorf
President and G. Robert Witmer, Jr. University Professor

Sarah Peyre
Interim Provost