Dear USF Community,
Thank you for all you are doing to keep our community as safe as possible as we continue to transition to a mostly in-person spring semester. Although San Francisco is letting the latest indoor masking policy expire on Feb. 16 and loosening some restrictions, local and national health officials are still recommending layered prevention strategies, including but not limited to masking, staying home when not feeling well, and being up-to-date with vaccines. We will continue to put the safety of our community at the forefront and will keep our current preventive strategies in place. Please find campus updates and reminders below.
Face Coverings
At this time, we will continue to require masks indoors, including in the Koret Health and Recreation Center. We will revisit our mask mandate in the coming months, as some members of our community are not yet eligible to receive the booster. Thank you for continuing to mask up! As a reminder, Student Life is providing N95 masks to high-risk individuals such as unvaccinated faculty, students, and staff, and KN95 and surgical masks will continue to be provided to the schools and college as supplies allow. N95s for unvaccinated individuals, KN95s, and surgical masks are still available at Public Safety kiosks.
Confirmed Active Cases On Campus
As of Feb. 7, there are 36 active cases of COVID-19 at USF. Active cases are defined as individuals who have been on campus within their infectious period and have had close contact with other community members within the last 10 days. Of the active cases, 13 are residential students, 23 are non-residential students, and none are employees. The active confirmed cases dashboard is updated weekly on Fridays.
Contact Tracing
We continue to streamline our contact tracing processes and protocols. An abridged version of these procedures is available on the testing and tracing page of USF Together.
We know that at times a member of our community may be made aware of a positive case prior to covidtracing@usfca.edu being notified. If a member of the community discloses to you that they have tested positive for COVID and they did not test at one of USF’s on-campus testing clinics, please refer them to covidtracing@usfca.edu so we can work through our protocols and send the proper notifications. When a student tests positive and confirms which classes they have attended during their 48-hour infectious period, faculty members and fellow classmates will receive communication by a member of the COVID tracing team. Communication may be delayed depending on when the COVID tracing team receives the information about the positive result or if someone had symptoms before testing positive. We can all do our part by not coming to campus if we are not feeling well.
Close Contacts and Positive Tests
In the event that you are informed that you are a close contact of a COVID-positive individual — whether or not that individual is a member of the USF community — please take the following steps:
- If you are fully vaccinated, including a booster if you are eligible, you are not required to quarantine and may fully participate in campus activities.
- It is recommended that you test on or after the fifth day following exposure, unless symptoms present earlier.
- If you are not yet fully vaccinated, you should quarantine and limit contact with others until you can be tested on or after the fifth day following exposure, unless symptoms present earlier.
- In both scenarios, wear a well-fitted mask and contact covidtracing@usfca.edu with any questions.
In the event that you test positive, please follow these steps:
- Contact covidtracing@usfca.edu and let them know you tested positive.
- Isolate away from others who are not COVID positive. Upon receiving your positive result, the COVID tracing team will do an intake to determine your length of isolation. They will provide guidance on isolation procedures and when you are eligible to test out of isolation. The isolation period is currently 10 days with the ability to test out if you receive a negative test on or after your fifth day. You will also be provided information on your infectious window and how to notify those you have had close contact with.
- If you are a residential student, the housing office will be in touch with you to coordinate your isolation location and resources.
Currently, student cases have been linked to gatherings outside of the classroom environment. Let’s all continue to do our part and limit unmasked small and large gatherings.
On-Campus Testing
COVID testing through GoHealth for students, faculty, and staff continues to be available in McLaren 250 on Mondays from 1 to 3 p.m., Wednesdays from 1 to 3 p.m., and Thursdays from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. To register, please visit HPS COVID-19 Resources.
Students, faculty, and staff reporting symptoms and who are identified as close contacts continue to receive instructions for testing from the COVID tracing team. Drop-in hours for symptomatic testing, close-contact testing, and end-of-isolation testing is offered on the fifth floor of University Center seven days a week. Students with approved exemptions will continue to be required to test weekly at GoHealth testing and have received additional information.
Faculty and Staff Testing Requirement
USF employees who are working on campus and are not vaccinated against COVID-19 or have not uploaded proof of vaccination will be required to submit a weekly negative test result through USFWorks. This testing requirement will begin the week of Feb. 14. Faculty and staff in this category will receive an email this week with information on how to upload test results. Testing is on campus by appointment. See above for on-campus testing schedule.
Faculty and Staff Vaccination Requirement
As a reminder, faculty and staff, except those who have an exemption approved by Human Resources, are required to be fully vaccinated by May 31, including a booster when eligible. This requirement includes employees working remotely. Please continue to update your COVID-19 record in USFWorks by updating your status and uploading proof when you receive your vaccination or booster. Review Kaiser and Anthem COVID-19 vaccinations and booster information.
Boosters
Students: When you are eligible and have received your booster, please submit proof to Med+Proctor.
Information on how to get a booster can be found on SF.gov. Please note that USF students may also receive a booster at the USF Student Clinic at 2250 Hayes Street.
A big thank you to all of our community members who have received their booster shots as soon as they became eligible. As public health experts continue to tell us, being up-to-date with vaccinations is still the best protection.
Food at Events and Outside Visitors
At this time, USF will continue the policy of not permitting food and beverage at indoor events and will continue to limit outside visitors. Food and beverage will be served outside only. USF will reexamine this policy throughout the semester and communicate any changes.
A Few Reminders
DONS HEALTH CHECK AND BUILDING ACCESS
All community members need their USF OneCard or mobile OneCard (available for iOS and Android) to access campus buildings. We remind you to complete the Dons Health Check daily symptom monitoring and do not come to campus if you are not feeling well. If you do not complete the Dons Health Check survey, you will not be able to access buildings on campus.
We also recommend everyone carry with them a photo or hard copy of their vaccination record and/or a digital vaccination record in order to participate in indoor events that require proof of vaccination in San Francisco, including some events taking place on campus.
Faculty and staff who have provided proof of vaccination in USFWorks will have swipe access to campus dining facilities and will no longer need to show proof of vaccination to dine in.
HEALTH AND SAFETY REMINDERS
Please review the following practices to protect your health and well-being, and the health and well-being of the community:
- Continue to monitor for symptoms. You must submit your daily Dons Health Check or submit symptoms directly to covidtracing@usfca.edu. If you are not coming to campus, you are not required to submit daily symptom checks, but please contact covidtracing@usfca.edu if you need information
- Wash your hands often for at least 20 seconds.
- Wear face coverings while indoors, and outdoors when distancing cannot be maintained.
- Limit large group settings whenever possible
- Stay home when sick or not feeling well
- Utilize hand sanitizer often, including from the stands located throughout campus.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation as we continue to navigate this complex and evolving situation. Thank you for living our mission and doing your part to keep our community as safe as possible. Your flexibility in the face of change is appreciated.
Thank you,
COVID Management Team
covidtracing@usfca.edu