Skip to content

College of Medicine Pandemic Response for Jan. 7

Current Updates For Employees – Important Changes and Reminders:

  • Federal Contractor Vaccine Mandate: All employees at all Penn State campuses are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or have an approved medical/disability- or religious-related This mandate requirement is currently under an injunction and will not be implemented by Penn State on Jan. 4. Therefore, at present there will be no sanctions for those who are not fully vaccinated or do not have an approved accommodation.
  • Working from Home: Anyone who can work from home is encouraged to do so until further notice.
  • COVID-19 Testing: Employees are encouraged to take advantage of the free, mail-in Vault Health testing available to them. Any employee can currently order up to 12 Vault Health kits for at-home use.
  • Face Masks Required Indoors: All College of Medicine faculty, staff and students are now required to wear three-ply level 1 procedure masks (or N95 or KN95 masks) while on campus. Cloth masks are no longer permitted unless worn over a level 1 mask. Medical and physician assistant students can continue to pick up approved masks in the Office of Medical Education (C1704), Monday through Thursday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • Remember the Basics: Stay home if you are sick, wash your hands frequently, wear a tight -fitting mask, get vaccinated, get a booster shot and continue to use the daily check-in process before walking into the building.
  • Booster Shots: Booster shots are strongly encouraged and are available at any health care location, pharmacy, grocery store, etc. Find the location closest to you on gov.
  • Lunch and Breaks: Given the increased transmissibility of the Omicron variant, please be especially careful when eating or drinking while unmasked. To the extent possible, please remain physical distanced while on break.
  • Symptomatic Employees: Employees experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 should contact Occupational Medicine and should quarantine until they receive a positive or negative COVID test result. Do not come to campus while waiting for test results as it could put others at risk. Employees at the College of Medicine who test positive will be required to isolate for 10 days before returning to campus.
  • Quarantining after Exposure: Employees who are in close contact or have a high-risk exposure with a confirmed case of COVID-19 must quarantine for 10 days. If the symptomatic contact tests negative, then the quarantine is lifted and you may return to your normal routine. If the symptomatic contact tests positive, the quarantined employee must complete the 10-day isolation period. Exposed employees do not need to test for clearance after the 10-day isolation period and can return to work after the 10 days are complete. However, they need to monitor for symptoms and report them to Occupational Medicine (814-863-8492) and get tested, if symptoms appear. Please note that day 1 of isolation begins on the last day of exposure. Isolation is extended with continuous exposure (i.e., living with COVID-19 positive individual).

Exemptions from quarantine/isolation:

    • Individuals who have received their booster shot, completed the primary series of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine within the last six months, or completed the primary series of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine within the last two months do not need to quarantine following an exposure, but should continue to wear a mask indoors. Please refrain from eating and drinking around others. If symptoms occur at any time, individuals should immediately quarantine and get tested until a negative test confirms symptoms are not attributable to COVID-19.
    • Individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 within the past three months and recovered does not have to quarantine or get tested again as long as they do not develop new symptoms. If symptoms develop, they need to self-quarantine and get tested.

For Students – Important Changes and Reminders

  • Symptomatic Students: Students experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 should contact Student Health (717-531-5998) and should isolate until they receive a positive or negative test result. Do not come to campus or to the Student Health office as it could put others at risk. Students at the College of Medicine who test positive will be required to isolate for 10 days before returning to campus. Day 1 of isolation begins the day after testing positive.
  • Exposed Students: Students who are in close contact or have a high-risk exposure with a confirmed case of COVID-19 (i.e., roommate, spouse, etc.) must quarantine for 10 days. Day 1 of quarantine begins on the last day of possible exposure. Isolation is extended with continuous exposure (i.e., living with COVID-19 positive individual). Exposed students who test positive must complete the 10-day isolation period. If you receive a positive test result, even if you: 1) were COVID-positive in the last 3 months or 2) received the vaccine and/or a booster shot in the last 3 months, your positive test will still be considered a break-through infection, and you must isolate.
  • Vaccination Status: Penn State students who have not shared with the University proof that they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will continue to have to test weekly for COVID-19 throughout the spring 2022 semester.
  • COVID-19 Testing: Any student can currently order up to 12 Vault Health kits for at-home use. This testing is a rolling cycle so you can have up to 12 Vault Health tests in a month as needed. The College will also be offering voluntary rapid testing this weekend at the University Conference Center Saturday, Jan. 8, and Sunday, Jan. 9, from noon to 4 p.m. You will need to pre-schedule your appointment through the scheduling tool, here.
  • Booster Shots: Booster shots are strongly encouraged and are available at any health care location, pharmacy, grocery store, etc. Find the location closest to you on gov.
  • Face Masks Required Indoors: Students are now required to wear 3-ply level I procedure masks (or KN95 or N95 masks) while on campus. Cloth masks are no longer permitted for students. Please see the CDC recommendations for the best mask type to protect you. Medical and physician assistant students can continue to pick up approved masks in the Office of Medical Education (C1704), Monday through Thursday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Website Information

In this dynamic environment surrounding COVID-19, please visit the following link to the College website where updates and information are updated on a regular basis – med.psu.edu/coronavirus/faqs

Participant Mask Removal Must PAUSE for all Observational Studies at the College of Medicine

Effective Monday, Jan. 10, in-person, observational research studies with procedures that involve participant mask removal (for any reason) must pause until Tuesday, Feb. 1. This requirement is for all observational studies reviewed and approved through InfoReady. Study teams must continue to follow all other requirements as outlined in their COVID Safety protocol in InfoReady. This temporary pause will be reevaluated, in conjunction of the local case load and hospital capacity, with an update to be issued on Tuesday, Feb. 1.

The University continues to follow the Revised Standards for in-person human subjects research. In-person research may require review by the University COVID Safety Committee, which is separate from the Institutional Review Board’s review.

If you're having trouble accessing this content, or would like it in another format, please email the Penn State College of Medicine web department.