COVID-19 Info

Every member of the Mount community will be expected to fully comply with the policies, protocols and guidelines included in the Return to Campus Plan in order to reduce the health risk to students and employees.

By implementing multiple layers of protection, we achieve the best possible protection. The five key Layers of Protection that everyone in the Mount community can impact are:

• Face Coverings – must be worn when in the presence of others.
• Physical Distancing – stay at least 6’ from others at all times; stay out of crowded places; and obey posted room occupancy limits.
• Handwashing – wash hands often for at least 20 seconds or when not readily available, hand sanitizer should be used.
• Self-Quarantine – if symptomatic, or you were in close contact with someone who tested posted for COVID-19 (closer than 6’ for 15 minutes or longer) stay home or in your resident room; notify HR (if employee) or Dean of Students (if student) immediately if tested positive for COVID-19.
• Limiting Exposure – Travel outside of US is banned; supervisors must approve overnight business travel; postpone or limit business travel, if possible; comply with other reporting/testing protocols as designated by the University.

Employees experiencing difficulties wearing a face mask may seek an accommodation because of a pre-existing medical condition through the Office of Human Resources. In these circumstances, a face shield may be provided. Students may seek the same support through the Dean of Students Office.

There have been many changes and new procedures implemented in a relatively short period of time. Everyone is adjusting to a new normal.

Therefore, the university will engage in a variety of compliance approaches:

Pre-Emptive

The University has designated students and others across campus to monitor public spaces to help set the tone for physical distancing, wearing of face coverings, etc.

Mitigation

Step One: The best way to encourage employees, students and visitors to follow the Mount’s policies/guidelines is by setting the example and being consistent. Please take the Mount Safety Pledge seriously.

Step Two: If someone forgets one of the policies/guidelines, politely remind them. Conversely, if you forgot, do not be offended when someone reminds you.

Tip: Approach the person by saying, “I would feel more comfortable if…you wore your face covering in this public space properly by placing it over your nose, etc.”

Step Three: If you are not comfortable doing this, or this turns out to be ineffective, contact HR or your supervisor (if employee) or the Dean of Students (if student) to address the situation.

Step Four: If you are not comfortable turning to HR or your supervisor, employees and students may use the anonymous compliance reporting program, EthicsPoint, to report a violation. Reports can be filed under the Category: Risk and Safety Matters – Environmental and Safety Matters.

Report a Violation

Step Five: Violations (e.g., blatant disregard for infection prevention measures) may result in the immediate revocation of building access privileges, disciplinary action, and/or other interventions.

The long-term disinfectant, Enviroshield Endure (SD90+), is an organosilane (silicon based chemical). It is the latter that polymerizes to the surfaces and remains on surfaces up to 180 days (in some claims they mention up to a year). Once applied it becomes safe for reoccupancy in about an hour. As opposed to most disinfectants, the method of microbial kill for SD90+ is mechanical, not chemical. The silicon creates at a molecular level a crystalline structure that effectively disrupts cell walls (protein or lipid based).

The manufacturer has stated that “Clorox wipes” and the like will not harm the product or reduce its efficacy.

Forms of aggression go directly against Mount St. Mary’s University’s Code of Ethical Behavior. There is zero tolerance for all forms of aggression. Incidents may result in removal from University facilities and prosecution.

Examples of Aggressive Behavior

• Verbal harassment, threats or abusive language.
• Gestures.
• Racist or derogatory comments directed at others.
• Sexual language directed at others.
• Failure to respond to staff instructions. This includes failure to comply with screening or to appropriately wear a mask during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Physical assault.

If at any time you have any security concerns, please contact the Department of Public Safety at Ext. 5357.

Do not come to work or go to classes. (If you are at work, leave immediately.) If you are concerned that you may have contracted COVID-19, seek medical advice by using a tele-health service, calling your healthcare provider, or calling the Health Center. They will conduct a symptom scan by phone and provide guidance on next steps. If you are an employee, contact Human Resources, if you are a student, contact the Dean of Students¹.

¹The Dean of Students will have oversight for all traditional undergraduate students (resident or commuter); however, the Rector of the Seminary shall have oversight for all seminarians and the Associate Provost for the Division of Graduate, Professional and Continuing and Education shall have oversight for all graduate and accelerated students.

• If the individual is an employee contact Human Resources, if they are a student contact the Dean of Students.
• The sick individual should isolate themselves in their office, car or outside alone, and call their healthcare provider or the Health Center for further phone evaluation and decisions about next steps.

If an individual becomes ill while at work or during class, they should be directed to go home immediately (if an employee) or to go to the Health Center (if a student), even if their symptoms are mild.

In addition, supervisors and/or faculty members may address a particular situation if an individual may be exhibiting symptoms so as to ascertain whether or not the individual should be directed to go home or seek care from the Health Center. Notification should be made immediately to Human Resources in the event of an employee, or the Dean of Students in the case of a student.

Someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period* starting from 2 days before illness onset (or, for asymptomatic patients, 2 days prior to test specimen collection) until the time the patient is isolated.

For more information, please visit the CDC's Glossary of Key Terms.

The CDC does not recommend self-quarantine; rather, the individual should continue to self-monitor for symptoms. Concerned individuals can also seek out COVID-19 testing.

Quarantine is used to keep someone who might have been exposed to COVID-19 away from others. Quarantine helps prevent spread of disease that can occur before a person knows they are sick or if they are infected with the virus without feeling symptoms. People in quarantine should stay home, separate themselves from others, monitor their health, and follow directions from their healthcare provider.

Isolation is used to separate people infected with the virus (those who are sick with COVID-19 and those with no symptoms) from people who are not infected. People who are in isolation should stay home until it’s safe for them to be around others. In the home, anyone sick or infected should separate themselves from others by staying in a specific “sick room” or area and using a separate bathroom (if available).

Under CDC guidelines, individuals who have had close contact with a COVID-19 positive individual must self-quarantine (see care instructions above for quarantine). However, the length of the quarantine may differ depending upon the proximity of the close contact with the COVID-19 positive individual.

Will not have further close contact – Quarantine can end after Day 10 without testing and IF NO SYMPTOMS have been reported. OR Quarantine can end after Day 7 IF a diagnostic specimen test is collected no sooner than Day 5 (average incubation period) and is negative and IF NO SYMPTOMS have been reported.

Live with person but can avoid further close contact – Quarantine can end after Day 10 without testing and IF NO SYMPTOMS have been reported. OR Quarantine can end after Day 7 IF a diagnostic specimen test is collected no sooner than Day 5 (average incubation period) and is negative and IF NO SYMPTOMS have been reported.

Under quarantine and had additional close contact with COVID-19 positive individual – Restart quarantine from the last day you had close contact with anyone in your house/room who has COVID. Anytime a new household/roommate gets sick with COVID and you had close contact, you will need to restart quarantine.

Live with person and cannot avoid continued close contact – Avoid contact to the extent possible. Quarantine can end after Day 10 without testing and IF NO SYMPTOMS have been reported. OR Quarantine can end after Day 7 IF a diagnostic specimen test is collected no sooner than Day 5 (average incubation period) and is negative and IF NO SYMPTOMS have been reported.

No. People infected with COVID-19 can take up to 14 days to develop symptoms. The individual must finish the full 14 days of quarantine.

• Encourage the individual to be tested for COVID-19. Until results are available, the individual must self-isolate. The individual must remain in self-isolation for 14 days after symptoms started AND 24 hours after fever has resolved AND symptoms improved.
• The university will initiate deep cleaning and disinfection protocols.
• Begin identifying individuals with whom the suspected individual may have had close contact. Close contact means someone was closer than six feet for more than 15 minutes from an individual who is positive for COVID-19. It does not matter if the individuals were wearing face coverings.
• If the individual ends up testing positive, the exposed individuals identified as close contacts must self-quarantine for 14 days following the close contact.

• Instruct the positive individual to stay home and self-isolate if an employee or if a residential student, the university will arrange for self-isolation.
  • The individual should not return to work/classes for at least 10 days after symptoms first started AND 24 hours after fever has resolved without the use of fever-reducing medicines AND symptoms have vastly improved.
  • The university will meet its obligation to notify the Mount community.
  • IMPORTANT: It is against the law to identify this individual by name. The university will not disclose to other staff/students or third parties the name or other personal or health information of the individual who tested positive for COVID-19.
• The university will arrange to thoroughly clean and disinfect equipment and other elements of the environment of the individual, along with frequently touched surfaces and objects such as doorknobs/push bars, elevator buttons, restroom doors, etc., use EPA-approved disinfectants and use according to label instructions.
• Within 24 hours of learning that an individual has tested positive for COVID-19, the university will notify the Frederick County Department of Public Health.
• Members of the Mount St. Mary’s community are required to cooperate with contact tracing efforts, including notification of potential contacts, while maintaining confidentiality required by state and federal law and regulations.

Those with no current symptoms of COVID-19 do not have to quarantine, and retesting is not recommended;

Those with symptoms, should begin self-isolation immediately for 10 days after symptom onset and consult with a medical provider to determine if they may have been re-infected with COVID-19 or if symptoms are caused by another illness.

• All vaccines approved for widespread use are required to undergo extensive safety testing before they are licensed by the Food and Drug Administration or recommended for widespread use.
• Both the Pfizer BioNTech and Moderna vaccines being used have been studied in multiple clinical trials, each of which has included thousands of individuals who were followed for a minimum of two months. Decades of experience with other vaccines indicate that most adverse reactions occur within the first two months of vaccination.
• While these vaccines were developed quickly, all safety testing phases were completed, and the vaccines were shown to be highly effective in preventing serious illness.
• The most common side effects are a sore arm, fatigue, headache and a low-grade fever that lasts for 24 to 48 hours. This side effects are a sign that the body is building immunity.
• People who have had severe allergic reactions to other vaccines or injectable therapies should not get vaccinated against COVID-19.

• Vaccination helps to protect us and those around us from COVID-19.
• Clinical trials show the vaccines are highly effective in preventing serious illness.
• Vaccines are the path forward to ending the pandemic.
• Most of the participants in clinical trials and early recipients of the vaccine have had minimal side effects.

• The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a statement on December 14 that although the vaccines have some connection to cell lines connected to aborted fetuses, their use is morally justifiable in consideration of present circumstances. These circumstances are there is no vaccine that has absolutely no connection to abortion, the serious risk to public health and, most importantly, the need to protect the most vulnerable from the disease.
• The Bishops' statement says: “The lack of available alternative vaccines, and the fact that the connection between an abortion that occurred decades ago and receiving a vaccine produced today is remote, inoculation with the new COVID-19 vaccines in these circumstances can be morally justified.”
• The Vatican issued a statement on December 21 that “it is morally acceptable to receive COVID-19 vaccines that have used cell lines from aborted fetuses” in the research and production process when “ethically irreproachable” vaccines aren’t available to the public. The statement stressed that the “licit” uses of such vaccines “does not and should not in any way imply that there is a moral endorsement of the use of cell lines proceeding from aborted fetuses.”

• Masking up, physical distancing, avoiding large gatherings and handwashing will still be necessary to help slow or stop the spread of COVID-19.
• The vaccines appear to be highly effective at preventing disease, but it is unknown whether they prevent asymptomatic infection. This means that those who have been vaccinated might still be able to get infected without experiencing symptoms and unknowingly spread the virus.
• Scientists estimate that to control COVID-19, 70-80 percent of people will need to be immune. Maryland's goal is to immunize 80 percent of the state's population.

Only students who are or could be eligible to participate in programs under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), may receive emergency financial aid grants. The criteria to participate in programs under Section 484 of the HEA include but are not limited to the following: U.S. citizenship or eligible noncitizen; a valid Social Security number; registration with Selective Service (if the student is male); and a high school diploma, GED, or completion of high school in an approved homeschool setting. The Mount estimates 1,462 students meet this eligibility criteria.

In order to distribute funds to students with the highest need as quickly as possible, the Mount awarded CARES Act Emergency Financial Aid Grants in two phases. Emergency Financial Aid Grants awarded in Phase 1 of $433,565 were mailed to students on or before Friday, May 22, 2020. Emergency Financial Aid Grants awarded in Phase 2 of $405,680 were distributed via check on September 10, 2020.

To be considered for an award, eligible students had to have filed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FASFA) and enrolled in classes for the spring 2020 semester.

Additionally, the student must have been enrolled in classes that did not take place exclusively online prior to March 13, 2020 and meet other defined criteria. To prioritize students with the most need, the Mount awarded undergraduate Pell Grant recipients $600. Undergraduate students who did not receive a Pell Grant but had an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) less than $50,000 on their FAFSA were awarded $245. Adult accelerated undergraduate Pell Grant recipients were awarded $150 and adult accelerated undergraduate students enrolled in at least 6 credit hours who did not receive a Pell Grant with an EFC of less than $10,000 were awarded $50.

Additionally, eligible students who submitted an Application for Assistance online on or before April 30 were awarded $150 in additional funding. One eligible student who submitted an Application for Assistance was deemed to be of extreme high need and received an award of $3,200.

A total of 1,192 eligible students have been awarded CARES Act Emergency Financial Aid Grants totaling $433,565 in the phase 1 distribution.

To be considered for an award for the Phase 2 distribution, eligible students had to have filed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FASFA) for 2019-2020 no later than June 30, 2020 and enrolled in classes for the spring and fall 2020 semesters as of August 26, 2020. Additionally, the student must have been enrolled in classes that did not take place exclusively online prior to March 13, 2020 and meet other defined criteria. To prioritize students with the most need, the Mount awarded undergraduate Pell Grant recipients $780. Undergraduate students who did not receive a Pell Grant but had an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) less than $50,000 on their FAFSA were awarded $275. Adult accelerated undergraduate Pell Grant recipients were awarded $150 and adult accelerated undergraduate students, enrolled in at least six credit hours, who did not receive a Pell Grant with an EFC of less than $10,000 were awarded $75.

Additionally, eligible residential students who were requested to reside in a local hotel were awarded $475 or $100 depending on the duration of their stay as additional funding.

A total of 902 eligible students have been awarded CARES Act Emergency Financial Aid Grants, totaling $405,680 in the phase 2 distribution.

All CARES Act Emergency Financial Aid Grant for students has been disbursed as of September 10, 2020. Please consider this our final report.

Mount St. Mary’s University used the FAFSA to determine Title IV eligibility. The FAFSA must have been processed no later than June 30, 2020, to be considered for phase 2 funding.

According the IRS website, “Emergency financial aid grants under the CARES Act for unexpected expenses, unmet financial need, or expenses related to the disruption of campus operations on account of the COVID-19 pandemic, such as unexpected expenses for food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, or childcare, are qualified disaster relief payments under section 139 of the Internal Revenue Code. This grant is not includible in your gross income.”

No. The funds provided by the CARES Act are grants, so they do not need to be repaid.

They money you have received is yours. You do not need to show receipts. The funds were provided to assist eligible students who incurred expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus.

In order to receive funding under Phase 1, you must:

• Have submitted a complete 2019-20 FAFSA.
• Be eligible to participate in programs under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965.*
• Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen with a valid Social Security Number.
• Be an undergraduate, enrolled at the Mount during Spring 2020 at the time of the campus disruption due to coronavirus.
• Meet minimum satisfactory academic progress standards.
• Have an EFC less than $50,000.
• Not be in default on a Title IV loan.
• Not have federal or state conviction for drug possession or sale.

*The Mount estimates 1,462 students are eligible to participate in programs under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and thus eligible to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.

In order to receive funding under Phase 2, you must:

• Be determined to be Title IV eligible by submitting a complete a complete 2019-20 FAFSA by June 30, 2020.
• Be eligible to participate in programs under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965.
• Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen with a valid Social Security Number.
• Be an undergraduate, enrolled at the Mount during Spring 2020 at the time of the campus disruption due to coronavirus and the Fall 2020 as of August 26, 2020.
• Meet minimum satisfactory academic progress standards.
• Have an EFC less than $50,000 or a residential student requested by the University to reside in a local hotel.
• Not be in default on a Title IV loan.
• Not have federal or state conviction for drug possession or sale.

You are not eligible for CARES Act funds if you were enrolled exclusively in an online program on March 13, 2020.

For questions on the eligibility and/or awarding of the CARES Act Emergency Financial Aid Grants for Students please email mountcovidaid@msmary.edu or call Renee Ginn at 301-447-5382.

Symptoms are similar to what you might feel with a bad cold, moderate respiratory illness, or seasonal influenza. These might include:

• Fever (temperature above 100.4º).
• Cough.
• Shortness of breath/difficulty breathing.

The first infections were linked to a live animal market in Wuhan, China, but the virus is now spreading from person-to-person. It’s not yet known how easily this virus is spreading between people. This is why CDC recommends that those patients who are currently infected be isolated either in the hospital or at home (depending on the severity of their symptoms) until they are better and no longer pose a risk of infecting others.

Notice from the Maryland Department of Health – Out of State Travel and Public Travel Advisory

The Maryland Department of Health strongly recommends that all Marylanders refrain from nonessential travel outside of Maryland due to the recent increase in COVID-19 infections in other states. In addition:

1. Any Marylander returning from out-of-state or any out-of-state traveler should either get tested for COVID-19 promptly upon arrival in Maryland or within 72 hours before travel to Maryland. Find a test sites.

   We encourage out-of-state visitors to be tested within 72 hours prior to arrival and to cancel travel if they receive a positive result. Visitors waiting for their test results should stay at home between the time of their test and their arrival in Maryland or to self-quarantine at their hotel.

2. Any Marylander who travels to a state with a COVID-19 test positivity rate above 10% should get tested and self-quarantine at home until the test result is received. The District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Virginia are exempt from this recommendation.

   Find COVID-19 positivity rates by state. (COVID-19 Tests Performed by State - Commercial and Reference, Public Health, and Hospital).

3. Essential workers, as previously referenced in the Governor’s Office of Legal Counsel’s COVID-19-04 Interpretative Guidance, are exempt from the quarantine recommendation if they are returning or traveling to Maryland to perform essential work, as well as employee commuters who leave/enter the state on a daily basis and have work-based COVID-19 screening procedures.

This Notice is effective immediately and shall remain in effect until the state of emergency has been terminated and the proclamation of the catastrophic health emergency has been rescinded.

According to the most recent CDC update to its Travel Recommendations by Destination webpage (October 26, 2020), those anticipating travel abroad over the holidays or between semesters need to pay particular attention to the COVID-19 Risk Level assignments:

• Level 3 – COVID-19 Risk is High
• Level 2 – COVID-19 Risk is Moderate
• Level 1 – COVID-19 Risk is Low
• No Travel Health Notice: COVID-19 Risk is Very Low
• Level 3 – No Data Available-COVID-19 Risk is Unknown

In addition several presidential proclamations restrict foreign nationals who have been in any of several countries during the past 14 days from entering the U.S.:

• China
• Iran
• Most European Countries
• United Kingdom
• Republic of Ireland
• Brazil

For a full list of exceptions, please refer to the relevant proclamations provided on the CDC Webpage.

In accordance with the University’s Return to Campus Plan, anyone returning from domestic travel to a state with a positivity rating above 10% OR international travel to a country with Level 2 or Level 3 COVID-19 Risk must self-quarantine for 14 days, observe all pandemic safety protocols (wear mask, physical distance, hand washing, etc.) and if possible, get tested prior to returning to campus.

Until the threat of this virus has subsided, university-related international travel must be approved by the provost or president.

If you have traveled internationally to destinations other than level 3 countries, you should report to the Student Health Center as soon as possible on the 1st floor of McGowan Hall to do a risk assessment with our health care team.

Please also report your travel as follows:

• Undergraduate students – Please inform Student Life at studentlife@msmary.edu.
• Emmitsburg campus faculty, staff and administrators – Please inform your supervisor, along with Director of Human Resources Kristen Hurley at k.hurley@msmary.edu.
• Students, faculty and staff in the Frederick-based Division of Graduate, Professional and Continuing Education – Please inform Executive Assistant, Associate Provost Office Denise Ausherman at ausherman@msmary.edu.
• Seminarians – Please inform Msgr. Andrew Baker.

If you have traveled to such an area, you must remain off-campus for 14 days for self-quarantine precautions and get checked by a health care professional before returning to campus. This type of virus has a long incubation period (how long the symptoms appear from your time of exposure) of up to 14 days. If you feel ill during this time, you should contact your health care provider. Areas currently experiencing transmission are changing constantly. Please refer the CDC Geographic Risk Assessment list and map.

For Undergraduate Students

If you have recently traveled to an area of known high risk/exposure, you must remain off-campus for 14 days as noted above. Once you have contacted Student Life at studentlife@msmary.edu, the information will be communicated directly with the Associate Provost’s Office to make them aware of your absence from classes. However, it is strongly recommended that you also contact the Associate Provost’s Office at 301-447-5649 to let them know you will be out. The university is informing faculty/professors that they should be flexible with class attendance and course work policies from absences due to illness or quarantines.

Although you may be healthy during self-quarantine, it is the best way to prevent the possible spread of a communicable disease to which you may have been exposed.

For Others in the Mount Community

If you've been instructed to self-quarantine, please report as follows:

• Emmitsburg campus faculty, staff and administrators – Please inform your supervisor, along with Director of Human Resources Kristen Hurley at k.hurley@msmary.edu.
• Students, faculty and staff in the Frederick-based Division of Graduate, Professional and Continuing Education – Please inform Executive Assistant, Associate Provost Office Denise Ausherman at ausherman@msmary.edu.
• Seminarians – Please inform Msgr. Andrew Baker.

Those who have not recently visited areas experiencing sustained community transmission, but are experiencing influenza-like illness, especially with fever, cough and body aches, should consider seeking medical attention for the possibility of the flu, especially if symptoms worsen. Students on-campus should contact Health Services at 301-447-5288 and identify yourself as having flu-like symptoms. Students may also consult with their regular health care provider. Faculty and staff who are sick with flu-like symptoms should stay home and contact their personal physician.

At this time, there is no vaccine to prevent infection with COVID-19. The best way to protect yourself from infection is to avoid being exposed to this virus. As we seek to ensure the good health of our community, the CDC offers these everyday actions to help prevent the spread COVID-19 and other flu-like illnesses:

• Avoid contact with sick people.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
• Clean your hands often by washing them with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains 60% to 95% alcohol. It is especially important to wash hands after going to the bathroom, before eating and after coughing, sneezing or blowing your nose.
• Stay home when you are sick. If you have a cough, fever and difficulty breathing, visit a health care provider. We will continue to ask faculty to work with students who miss classes due to illness.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe. The Mount’s custodial services team is wiping down and disinfecting desks, work surfaces, bathrooms and public doorknobs and has installed hand sanitizers at various locations across campus.

We realize that following COVID-19 in the news can cause stress and anxiety. Students should contact staff members in Counseling Services or the Center for Campus Ministry, whom are prepared to support you. If you need assistance outside regular business hours, please call Public Safety at 301-447-5911, and they will connect you with someone who can help.

For additional information about Coronavirus, including signs and symptoms, transmission and risk of exposure, and what to do if you are exhibiting symptoms, please refer to the latest updates from the CDC website. The World Health Organization (WHO) has been posting near-daily reports as this situation continues to evolve. These reports are especially helpful for tracking locations of new confirmed cases as well as updates on preparedness and response efforts.

We also strongly advise you to sign-up for Mount Alerts, as any urgent or emergency communication from the university would come through this channel.