We are sending you this Alert Carolina Emergency Notification as a requirement of the U.S. Department of Education Clery Act, which guides what health and safety information universities share with their campus.
As you return to campus, we want to remind you that COVID-19 is still present in Chapel Hill and we all must take steps to slow the spread of the disease. The intent of this message is to share information about UNC-Chapel Hill COVID-19 resources and protocols for the fall semester. The full Roadmap for Fall 2020, which outlines all the safety precautions the University is taking to minimize the spread of the virus, can be found on the Carolina Together website.
Community Standards
Every student, employee and visitor to the UNC-Chapel Hill campus is expected to adhere to the Community Standards and University Guidelines. These standards include the three W’s:
- Wear a cloth covering over your nose and mouth
- Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer
- Wait 6 feet apart
All students and on-campus employees are being provided with a COVID-19 care kit, which includes two face coverings and hand sanitizer. Additionally, mask distribution sites are being set up across campus for students who forget to bring one to class. You can find a map of those locations at maps.unc.edu. This map is accessible on a mobile device through the Carolina Ready safety app. Employees can obtain masks through their department CPE coordinators. Adherence to these standards is required in order to study, work or visit the campus.
Communication
The University is maintaining a COVID-19 dashboard that will be updated weekly with metrics like numbers of positive cases, quarantine and isolation housing capacity, and personal protective equipment (PPE) availability. The dashboard will help inform our decision making related to campus operations and possible off-ramps in consultation with the UNC System and local health officials.
As a reminder, the University will not communicate broadly about individual positive cases, consistent with the State Human Resources Act and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, as well as other privacy considerations. Individuals who have been potentially exposed to the positive case will be notified through the University’s contact tracing procedures, making broad communications unnecessary. The University will determine the release of non-identifying communications about the clusters of positive results based on approved guidelines.
Health and Wellness
Before leaving home for work or study each day, all individuals should check for symptoms using the COVID-19 screening checklist. Anyone who is experiencing any symptom(s) indicated on the screening checklist must not go to class or work and should self-isolate and contact their health care provider.
Environment, Health and Safety has a screening checklist and other resources for employees.
Campus Health has a screening checklist and other resources for students.
The University Guideline on Health Monitoring outlines the responsibility of students, faculty and staff to carefully monitor their health every day before coming to campus.
If a student tests positive, they should immediately contact their healthcare provider or Campus Health so that contact tracing will be initiated. If the student resides on-campus, they will be moved to isolation housing and provided with medical care and support.
If an employee tests positive, the University Employee Occupational Health Clinic will be notified either by the employee or the employee’s local health department. Any employee who tests positive for COVID-19 will have to be screened by the UEOHC before returning to work.
The Carolina Together website and COVID-19 dashboard will both be updated regularly so we encourage community members to reference these resources frequently.