As we and other universities across the country have learned, the protocols put in place before the community returns to campus are essential to preventing large outbreaks of COVID-19. More details about specific protocols will be available on DU’s COVID-19 website, and they will largely mirror those implemented at the start of the fall term. There are three important requirements for the winter return – quarantine, testing, and flu vaccination.
- Quarantine | A minimum of 10 days quarantine is required before in-person instruction. Please begin your quarantine on or before January 1. For faculty and staff, we ask that you quarantine for 10 days prior to your first day back on campus. Further information about protocols for essential staff who do not leave over winter break will soon be released.
- Testing | As in the fall, everyone will be required to have a negative nasal swab PCR test for the virus that causes COVID-19 and it must be collected during the quarantine period. You may upload results from a test taken at a facility of your choice or take the test at the carepod on campus. To upload results or make an appointment, visit the DU Health and Counseling Center.
- Flu vaccine | All students, faculty, and staff who plan to be on campus during winter term must show proof of a 2020-21 influenza vaccination by December 15. Schedule an appointment through your MyHealth portal then come to the Ritchie Center, accessible from the north entrance to the left of the main stairs, and bring your appointment QR code. The state of Colorado allows certain exemptions for medical and non-medical reasons, and DU will honor such exemptions. You must submit a vaccination exemption form if you wish to be exempt from the flu vaccine requirement. If you have already gotten your flu shot, please submit a record through your MyHealth portal. Records must include your full name, type of flu vaccination, and date administered.
There will also be a booster canvas course that is optional. If you are a faculty member who did not teach on campus in the fall but plan to return to campus for the winter term, you are required to take this canvas course.