In response to the latest COVID-19 surge, spring semester classes will take place remotely through at least January 30, 2022.

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On-Campus Safety Protocols

All students who plan to be on campus must follow these safety requirements:

Wear a Well-Fitting Mask Indoors

Community members should come to campus with a mask and wear indoors when in public. Acceptable masks include a KN95, surgical, or a cloth mask. The campus will have disposable masks available as a backup if someone needs a mask.

Comply with the Vaccine Mandate

  • Students, employees and all community members must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 or submit an exemption and participate in weekly testing.
  • The mandate now includes the booster requirement. If you are eligible for a booster you must access the booster as soon as possible, and upload proof into CoVerified or the student health portal.
  • If a student is fully remote and not living on campus, or participating in Athletics, no action is needed to be in compliance.
  • Please be aware that if you are coming to campus certain spaces will require a CoVerfied cleared badge before entry. 
  • We will need to have your vaccination documentation on record, employees should upload their vaccine documents to CoVerified and students should upload their vaccine documentation to “Medical Clearances” in their student health portal.
  • Learn more about vaccination or boosters in MA.

Get Tested

  • Everyone should access testing prior to returning to campus this spring. Students and employees can come to campus to get tested, or get tested off campus and upload results into CoVerified.
  • SSU offers free weekly PCR testing for all students and employees. Please schedule your test and receive results using CoVerified. Find the testing schedule and details here.
  • The City of Salem hosts free PRC testing at the Salem High School (drive through) and St. Peter’s Church (walk-in). Details can be found here.
  • Testing is required:
    • Weekly for residential students for at least the first 6 weeks of the semester or until the university determined that it is no longer mandatory.
    • Weekly for unvaccinated individuals coming to campus.
    • Individuals returning from international travel should get tested at least 72 hours prior to returning to campus for in-person activities.
  • Testing is recommended:
    • For anyone, regardless of vaccination status, especially before and after travel and large gatherings.
    • For anyone who is vaccinated but not yet boosted.

Maintain Physical Distance

  • When we return to in-person instruction we will continue to expect 3 feet of physical distancing in the classroom.
  • Offices and meeting spaces should maintain 6 feet of physical distance as much as possible, and not exceed 75% occupancy. 
  • If you are within 6 feet for more than 15 minutes of someone who tests positive for Covid-19 you will be asked to quarantine if you are not vaccinated and boosted.

Stay Home if You're Sick

  • Please monitor your symptoms and report them daily on CoVerified before coming to campus.
  • If you are experiencing any new symptoms associated with Covid, do not come to campus. Notify your faculty or supervisor.
  • Please access testing and do not return to campus until you have received a negative test result. This may require you to be off campus for 48-72 hours.
  • You can access testing on campus, or ask counseling and health or HR for guidance on how to access testing off campus and upload results into CoVerified.
  • If you use an at home test and it is negative but your symptoms persist or worsen, please repeat testing and seek confirmatory molecular testing (such as a PCR). Students who seek medical evaluation and treatment can schedule an appointment on their student health portal or follow up with their primary care provider. Employees should consult with their primary care provider.
  • Symptomatic students and employees can schedule COVID testing on CoVerified, please follow testing site signage and stay in the area designated for symptomatic individuals only.
  • If a student is dealing with a serious medical condition that is not Covid-related but will require them to be out of class for more than a week, they can provide medical documentation to careandconcern@salemstate.edu and receive assistance with communicating medical absence to faculty. 

Follow Quarantine and Isolation Protocols

  • SSU bases our quarantine and isolation protocols on the public health guidance provided by the MA Department of Public Health.
  • SSU protocols will an include a test-based requirement to discontinue isolation for students returning to the residence halls after testing positive.
  • If you test positive for Covid-19, you will need to isolate off campus. Isolation period can last 10 days, but may be shortened based on symptoms and test results. Work with your contact tracer for additional guidance.
  • SSU will provide limited Q and I spaces on campus for residential students who are not able to relocate off campus due to personal hardship and extenuating circumstances.
  • If you were exposed as a close contact to someone who tested positive during their infectious period, and you are unvaccinated or are booster eligible but have not been boosted, you must quarantine for at least 5 days and access testing after day 5 before returning to campus.
  • If you are exposed and fully vaccinated and boosted you should access testing after day 5.
  • SSU students can call contact tracers at 978.542.3240. It is important to leave a voicemail if no one answers and you’d like a call back.
  • You must upload test results into CoVerified, cooperate with contact tracers and follow public health guidance. Failure to comply can result in disciplinary action.
  • SSU contact tracers will notify other SSU community members of (close contact) exposures if resources allow, but the individual will need to notify non-SSU community members. Proximate contacts will no longer be notified.
  • SSU contact tracers will notify faculty or supervisors if the individual needs to be out of class or work for 5 to 10 days. We will no longer provide a clearance email or notification when someone is able to return to campus. 
  • Consider enabling MassNotify on your phone, so that you can quickly notify your close contacts anonymously, should the need arise.

Who to Contact

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