COVID 19 READ: Contact Tracing, Isolation, and Quarantine

Clarkson Students,

With the change in guidance from New York State on how contact tracing is administered by public health, Clarkson University is providing the following guidelines for students who test positive as well as for those who need to quarantine. Contact the Office of the Dean of Students at deanofstudents@clarkson.edu with any questions.

If you test positive for COVID-19:

• Self-report your positive test to New York State Department of Health here.
• Remove yourself from campus and either go home or to an alternative off campus location where you are able to isolate.
  • If you are a residential student who fits one of the following criteria, you may submit a request to Residence Life to stay on campus. Space is extremely limited and will be provided to these students when available.
    • Primary address is more than 500 miles away from campus
    • International students
    • Extenuating circumstances inhibiting your ability to return to your primary address
• Notify your instructors that will not be in class during your isolation period.
• Inform all individuals you had close contact with that you tested positive. Close contacts are individuals you had contact within 6’ for 15+ minutes. Inform all close contacts up to 48 hours prior to symptom onset or, if asymptomatic, 48 hours prior to your test that you tested positive.
• Upload your positive test to myCU here. When possible, we will notify your instructors that you will not be in class.
• Do not go to class, meetings, practices, competitions, or otherwise have in person contact with others.
• Follow all state and location isolation guidance. See details below for current local guidance.

If you learn you are a close contact to someone who tested positive and you are not vaccinated or not boosted if eligible, you will need to:

• Remove yourself from campus and either go home or to an alternative off campus location where you are able to quarantine.
  • The University does not have quarantine housing available.
  • If you are a residential student who fits one of the following criteria, you may submit a request to the Dean of Students for financial assistance related to your quarantine.
    • Primary address is more than 500 miles away from campus
    • International students
    • Extenuating circumstances inhibiting your ability to return to your primary address
• Notify your instructors that will not be in class during your quarantine period. The University will not communicate with your instructors regarding your quarantine.
• Do not go to class, meetings, practices, competitions, or otherwise have in person contact with others.
• Follow all state and location quarantine guidance. See details below for current local guidance.

Isolation and Quarantine Guidelines from St Lawrence County Department of Public Health as of 1/11/2022:

For individuals that have tested positive, ISOLATE for 5 days, where day 0 is the day of symptom onset or (if asymptomatic) the day of test.

• If asymptomatic at the end of 5 days or if symptoms are resolving, isolation ends and the individual should wear a well-fitting mask while around others for an additional 5 days.
• Individuals who are moderately-severely immunocompromised should continue to follow standard (i.e., not shortened) 10-day isolation guidance.
• Individuals who are unable to wear a well-fitting mask for 5 days after a 5-day isolation should also follow standard (i.e., not shortened) 10-day isolation guidance.

If exposed to COVID-19, QUARANTINE as follows, where day 0 is the last date of exposure:

• If not fully vaccinated or fully vaccinated and eligible for a booster but not yet boosted, quarantine for 5 days and wear a well-fitting mask while around others for an additional 5 days.
• If fully vaccinated and boosted (with the booster at least 2 weeks before the first date of exposure) or not yet eligible for a booster, no quarantine is required but these individuals should wear a well-fitting mask while around others for 10 days after the last date of exposure.
• If possible, test at day 5 with either a nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT, e.g., PCR) or antigen test.
• If symptoms appear, quarantine and seek testing. In this situation, quarantine would end when the test is negative. If testing is not done, isolate according to the guidance above.

For more information or updated guidance, please visit the St. Lawrence County Department of Health website.