Last week, university-wide communication reiterated that the Rutgers community will be returning to campus on January 31 following a migration to remote work in response to local COVID-19 infection rates. Below is a quick summary of much of the information relevant to staff shared by university administration, HR, and URA-AFT:
- Daily self-screening using the My Campus Pass is still required for all Rutgers-Newark community members
- All employees, except for those with approved medical or religious exemptions, are required to be vaccinated. Employees are expected to upload proof of booster/vaccination by January 31.
- Information regarding scheduling booster/vaccination doses on campus is located here.
- Fully vaccinated individuals (primary vaccine and booster) are not required to quarantine after exposure and may continue their regular duties as long as they remain asymptomatic. Those who are not up-to-date must quarantine after exposure, even if asymptomatic. Note that the CDC defines exposure as 15 minutes or more within 6 feet of a person with COVID-19. Additional details on quarantining and more can be found in the recently updated Guide to Returning to Rutgers, which received a recent update on 1/21/2022.
- Masks remain a key component of the university’s plan to curb the spread of COVID-19. Though no specific guidance is included in the Guide to Returning to Rutgers, experts highly recommend N95 orKN95 masks or similar high-filtration respirator when you’re in public indoor spaces. Two KN95 face coverings will be made available to all faculty and staff members through their deans and department offices starting Monday, January 31.
A federal program to distribute free N95 masks via major pharmacies has been announced, though details are hazy. - Because Omicron symptoms resemble cold/flu symptoms, we recommend folks take advantage of the many testing locations local communities have set up to slow the spread. Home tests are also available through several channels:
- Each home address is entitled to one kit of four home tests that can be ordered via USPS.
- The federal government has made four at home tests per address available to all. If you haven’t already ordered them, you can order them here.
- The state of New Jersey has partnered with Vault Health to provide saliva tests. Individuals meet with a clinician over Zoom and ship the sample to a lab using the included UPS label. Lab results are typically provided in 24-48 hours.
- Rutgers’ prescription provider, OptumRx, began covering the expenses for over-the-counter in-home COVID-19 diagnostic tests beginning January 15, 2022. Learn more here about the processes for reimbursement, coverage, and obtaining kits.