College of Medicine Pandemic Response Friday Round-Up – Week of Feb. 22-26

From left, Dr. Leslie Parent, vice dean for research and graduate studies; Dr. Terry Wolpaw, vice dean of educational affairs; Dr. Charles Lang, associate dean for graduate studies; and Dr. Neal Thomas, associate dean for clinical research.

New check-in process starts March 1

Due to the great work everyone has been doing to maintain a safe environment, in-person temperature and COVID symptom screenings will be discontinued, effective Monday, March 1.

Please use the following process daily when entering the College of Medicine main entrance and Biomedical Research Building entrance:

• Complete the online check-in process to assist with contact tracing.
• Scan your ID badge to enter the building.
• Use the digital thermal scanners in the lobby to check your temperature
• Continuing to practice physical distancing of at least six feet, regular hand hygiene and mask wearing.

Travel and quarantine policy for COM remains unchanged

College of Medicine, faculty, staff and student travel guidance remains unchanged. For up-to-date information, please visit the Penn State Travel Guidelines site. Penn State Health announced on Thursday it is now allowing all personal travel – domestic and international without the need for a post-travel quarantine. Penn State University follows guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Pennsylvania Department of Health. University practices will be updated to coincide with governmental regulations. Practicing physicians should follow Penn State Health policy.

Vaccination of new employees and current employees

Human Resources, in conjunction with Penn State Health, will offer vaccinations in early March for new employee hires and current employees who missed being vaccinated. Please watch for future emails from Human Resources regarding vaccine availability for these individuals.

Required surveillance testing for employees and students starts March 1

The University will conduct random daily surveillance testing of approximately 2% of the University’s on-campus population across all campuses. This testing is scheduled to begin March 1. This testing is mandatory, and only those who have tested COVID-19-positive in the last 90 days are exempt. Read more in last week’s email.

University Fitness Center expands to weekend hours starting Feb. 27

Looking to get more workouts in each week? Starting Saturday, Feb. 27, the University Fitness Center will expand its hours to 8 a.m. until noon on Saturdays and Sundays. Its full hours of operation will be:

Monday through Friday: 5 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday: 8 a.m. to noon

COVID-19 resources for College of Medicine faculty, staff, trainees and students

See the latest policies, information and resources for both on-campus and remote working and learning by visiting med.psu.edu/coronavirus.

In case you missed it

See last week’s email which covered the following topics:

• Penn State Health Offers COVID-19 Vaccine Scheduling to Phase 1A Patients
• Increased On-Site Research Capacity Implemented This Week
• Observational Clinical Research Studies Now Permitted with Restrictions

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