COVID-19 Procedures

Protocol for Positive Cases and Close Contacts

Regardless of vaccination status, residential students and seminarians must contact the Health Center if they experience any COVID-19 symptoms that are not associated with a previous health condition (e.g., allergies).

Positive COVID-19 Test

Students or seminarians who test positive for COVID-19, regardless of vaccination status, must follow CDC isolation guidelines:

• Isolate for 5 days after the positive test. Commuter students, employees and visitors are not permitted on campus during the isolation period.
• Check in with Health Services who will determine if the student is cleared for release (no fever for 24 hours prior and symptoms have resolved);
• Wear a mask when around others for 5 more days.

Exposure to Someone with COVID-19

In the event of a positive case, contact tracing will be initiated to identify close contacts who may be required to quarantine in accordance with CDC guidance. For COVID-19, a close contact is anyone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for a total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period within 48 hours (or 2 days) of the infected person developing symptoms or testing positive for COVID-19. All medical information obtained during contact tracing efforts will be protected as confidential.

Individuals who are either up to date with all recommended COVID-19 vaccines, including booster, or fully vaccinated within the last 6-months, who remain symptom-free are not required to quarantine following a close contact exposure to COVID-19 in accordance with CDC guidance. However, any fully vaccinated individual who experiences symptoms after close contact exposure to COVID-19 should follow the quarantine protocol described below and get tested for COVID-19.

Individuals who are not up to date with all recommended COVID-19 vaccines or are not fully vaccinated within 6 months, must quarantine for a period of 5 days and wear a mask for an additional 5 days following a close contact exposure.

Anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 5 days is not permitted on either the main campus or the Frederick campus unless they are in an isolation room.

Requirements for Students and Seminarians Who Are Not Fully Vaccinated

A person is “fully vaccinated” two weeks after their second vaccine dose in a two-dose series (Pfizer or Moderna vaccines) or two weeks after a single-dose vaccine (Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine). Some students and seminarians have been approved for an exemption to the vaccination requirement due to medical reasons or strongly held religious belief. Others may have started the vaccination process but are not yet fully vaccinated. Those who are not fully vaccinated are at a higher risk of contracting or transmitting COVID-19. As such, unvaccinated or partially vaccinated students and seminarians must abide by the following risk reduction measures to protect themselves and other individuals while on campus.

• Students and seminarians who are not fully vaccinated (as defined above) must monitor their temperature and COVID-19 symptoms daily.
  • Residential students who are not fully vaccinated: If you develop COVID-19 symptoms you must self-quarantine in your room and contact the Health Center immediately.
  • Commuter students who are not fully vaccinated: If you have COVID-19 symptoms, you are not permitted on campus. Contact your health care provider immediately and get tested for COVID-19. If you develop COVID-19 symptoms while on campus for classes or other school activities, you must leave immediately and contact your healthcare provider and get tested for COVID-19.
• Students and seminarians who are not fully vaccinated are required to participate in biweekly surveillance testing on campus (either PCR or antigen tests) for COVID-19.

Last updated April 12, 2022.