COVID-19 Information

Resources to keep yourself and others safe from COVID-19: www.covid.gov 

• CDC COVID Data Tracker
• CDC COVID-19 Vaccine and Booster Information
• Oregon Health Authority: Coronavirus (COVID-19)
• Linn County COVID-19 Information

Dear WesternU Faculty, Staff, and Students,

We hope you all had a restful Winter Break as you prepare to return to campus for Spring 2023. The CRT is monitoring local COVID-19 data and strongly recommends wearing a highly protective mask while indoors on campus. You must also follow any additional guidelines that are provided to you by your college or department. As a reminder, masks remain a requirement for all healthcare settings.

As we all return from holiday gatherings, travel, and spending more time indoors, wearing a mask indoors will help keep our campus transmission rates low to ensure less interruptions to the learning experiences of our students.

As a health science university, we must lead efforts to protect one another and the health of the communities in which we live, work, and serve. As our healthcare is strained not only by COVID-19, but other respiratory illnesses such as the flu and RSV, it is important that we do not add to the burden of our fellow frontline workers.

Below are some important reminders if you are experiencing symptoms, exposed to a known COVID-19 case, or test positive for COVID-19. Please read carefully before returning to campus.

Important Reminders for Returning to Campus

• If you are sick, stay home – even if you test negative for COVID-19.
  • If you test negative for COVID-19, stay home until you have been fever-free without the help of fever-reducing medicines for at least 24 hours.
    • If your negative result is from a rapid antigen test or a self-test, stay away from others and take at least one more test 48 hours later. This is because antigen tests (including self-tests) are more likely to miss early infections. If it is a self-test, make sure you read and follow all test instructions correctly. See FDA instructions on repeat testing.
  • If you test positive for COVID-19 or a doctor tells you that you have COVID-19, you must follow isolation requirements. 
    • BOTH Pomona and Lebanon campuses follow the best practices of the Los Angeles County Public Health Department for isolation.
    • You must also submit the WesternU COVID-19 Report Survey.
• If you are a close contact to someone with COVID-19 and you have no symptoms, you are not required to quarantine.* 
  • You are required to:
    • Wear a highly protective mask around others for 10 days.
    • Get tested 3-5 days after you were last exposed.
      • If your test result is positive, you must:
        • Follow the Los Angeles County Public Health Department for isolation (WesternU follows LACDPH regardless of the campus you are at).
        • Submit the WesternU COVID-19 Report Survey.
      • Monitor your health for 10 days
        • If symptoms start, stay home, and get tested (follow instructions above).
• If you test positive for COVID-19, you must follow the Los Angeles County Public Health Department isolation instructions before returning to campus. This applies to both Lebanon and Pomona campuses.
  • You must also submit the WesternU COVID-19 Report Survey.
  • You may end isolation after Day 5 ONLY if you: 
    • Take a COVID test on or after Day 5 and it is negative (you must submit a picture of your test results with the date test was conducted to COVIDTracing@westernu.edu prior to returning to campus), AND
    • Have been fever free for 24 hours (without fever-reducing medicines), AND 
    • Have no symptoms or existing symptoms are improving.
  • As a reminder: 
    • Day 0 is when your symptoms begin, or a positive test is taken if asymptomatic. You then begin counting Day 1 on the following day.
    • If you do not receive a negative test before Day 10, you can return on Day 11 if:
      • Have been fever free for 24 hours (without fever-reducing medicines), AND 
      • Have no symptoms or existing symptoms are improving.

COVID-19 Testing Resources

• COVID.gov
• Los Angeles County – How to Get a Test
  • LA County Home Test Collection Program
• Linn County, Oregon – COVID-19 Testing Information
• Free Self-Tests:
  • There are a number of ways to get self-tests at no cost:
    • Most health insurance, including Medi-Cal and Medicare, cover the cost of self-tests. Contact your health plan for instructions. If you go to a pharmacy and they don’t take your insurance keep your receipts. Most health plans will reimburse some or all of the cost. Most pay for up to 8 at-home tests per month for each person on the plan. The test must be authorized by the FDA. For more information, visit the CMS webpage How to get your At-Home Over-The-Counter COVID-19 Test for Free. A list of FDA-authorized home-tests can be found here.
    • Public Health vaccination sites offer free test kits. Click here (Spanish) for hours and locations.
    • Some community centers offer free test kits.

Thank you all for your patience and understanding as we work together to keep our campus healthy and safe.

Sincerely,

Coronavirus Response Team (CRT)