Residential Life policy for isolation and quarantine
July 10, 2020
Residential Life has set aside isolated, low-traffic space in residence halls and Transitional Living Areas (TLAs) to provide isolation and quarantine housing as needed.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Augustana temporarily is adopting an isolation and quarantine policy. This policy is subject to change to remain consistent with the most current guidance issued by public health authorities. Students will be notified via email of changes.
This policy applies only to students living in residence halls and TLAs. Augustana is not able to provide isolation or quarantine housing to students living off campus.
Contact tracing is used to identify people who may have been infected by a person suspected of having a communicable disease. If a student reports experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, that student will be interviewed by a trained contact tracer, who will determine if any of the student’s contacts will be required to sequester or enter quarantine.
Isolation
Isolation is used to separate people infected with the virus from people who are not infected.
Students experiencing COVID-19 symptoms (cough, difficulty breathing, fever, chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat or loss of taste/smell) should contact their health care providers immediately and refrain from any unnecessary contact with others, including attendance at class, social events, etc., until they can be tested and are known to be negative.
If the health care provider recommends testing, the students should enter isolation. Augustana will provide space in a house or apartment for the student to isolate. Students needing isolation housing should contact Public Safety at 309-794-7711. Students will need to bring all necessary supplies, including clothing, bedding, toiletries and academic supplies when they enter isolation.
Meals will be delivered daily and Residential Life staff will contact students in isolation daily. The college will follow guidelines established by the CDC to determine when it is safe for a student to discontinue isolation.
Quarantine
Quarantine is used to keep someone who has been exposed to COVID-19 but are not ill away from others. Students who have been determined to have had close contact with a person diagnosed with COVID-19 will need to quarantine themselves for 14 days. While in quarantine, students should not leave their residence and should refrain from any unnecessary contact with others.
If students develop symptoms while in quarantine, they should contact their health care provider immediately. Students who develop symptoms while in quarantine will immediately be considered to be in isolation and will be moved to isolation housing if needed.
Students who do not develop symptoms after 14 days will be able to leave quarantine. Students in quarantine will still be expected to participate remotely in class to the fullest extent possible.
Quarantine-in-place
Students living in spaces with private bathrooms (TLAs, Swanson, Flats, Bartholomew House) will quarantine in place. Students should not leave their residence once
they are notified that they must quarantine. Meals will be delivered daily and Residential Life staff will contact students in quarantine daily.
Alternative quarantine housing
Students living in residence halls with communal bathrooms will be provided a temporary space with a private bathroom to quarantine.
Students will need to bring all necessary supplies, including clothing, bedding, toiletries and academic supplies when they enter quarantine. Meals will be delivered daily and Residential Life staff will contact students in quarantine daily.
Quarantine-at-home
When students return to campus, they will be asked if they can safely return to quarantine at home should the need arise during the academic year. If a student is able to return home and is determined to need to quarantine, the student will be asked to return home to quarantine. Students will need to bring all necessary academic supplies when they return home. Students who develop symptoms should then isolate themselves while at home.
Students who do not develop symptoms after 14 days will be able to return to campus.
Sequester
Sequester is used to keep someone who might have been exposed to COVID-19 away from others. Students who have been determined to have had close contact with a person suspected, but not yet confirmed, of having COVID-19 will be asked to sequester in place until test results are available for the person suspected of being infected.
Students in sequester should leave their rooms only to use the bathroom and should wear a mask while outside of the room except to brush their teeth or shower. Students should also avoid interaction with others in the hallway or the restroom. Meals will be delivered to their room.
Students in sequester will still be expected to participate remotely in class to the fullest extent possible. If the test results are positive, the student will immediately begin to quarantine. If the test results are negative, the student can resume normal activities.
Where students share a room with a roommate, both students will need to sequester together until test results are available.