Public Health Protocols for Fall Return

Message Highlights:

• Individuals with a COVID-19 vaccine or booster exemption must renew their exemption for the 2022 -2023 academic year.
• Updated exemption requests or proof of vaccination must be submitted in myhealth by September 1. The law school deadline for employees and students is prior to their arrival on campus, no later than August 15.
• Mandatory testing will be suspended except under certain defined situations.
• Continue to carry your ID badge with you at all times, even though some building entrances on campus will no longer require an ID to enter.

Dear DU Community,

On April 28 DU communicated our plan to transition from the COVID-19 pandemic protocols and procedures to an “endemic phase.” This message further explains the evolution of the endemic phase and changes for the fall 2022 academic term.

Vaccinations

As announced on June 29, all students, faculty, and staff living, learning, or working in person on the DU campus must be up to date on their COVID-19 vaccinations, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines. Use the CDC calculator to see if you are up to date with your COVID-19 vaccination. Also check your myhealth.du.edu account to ensure your vaccinations are current. If not, please upload your updated vaccination record before you return to campus for the fall term or by September 1, whichever is earlier.  Your my.du.edu account will not show that you are cleared for campus access until you have an acknowledged up-to-date vaccination record in your myhealth.du.edu account.

Exemption Requests

We understand not everyone is in a position to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and that additional vaccinations following the primary series may not be compatible with everyone's medical status or religious or philosophical beliefs. To request an exemption from DU’s COVID-19 vaccination requirements for 2022-2023 academic year, please follow the directions here. You must submit a request for an exemption even if you have an approved exemption from a prior academic year.  Please submit your request for exemption promptly because you will need to have an approved exemption before you return to campus for the fall term or by September 1, whichever is earlier. Your my.du.edu account will not show that you are cleared for campus access until you have an approved exemption in your myhealth.du.edu account.

Testing, SPIT Lab & Care Pod

Effective August 1, DU will pause mandatory testing, except when required by the Outbreak Management Protocol outlined below. DU community members are welcome to continue to test as needed. We recommend testing in the following situations:

• If you are exposed to someone with COVID-19
• Before and after you travel, both domestically and internationally
• If you plan to interact with someone who may be immunocompromised or elderly.

Click here for Care Pod testing hours.

DU will begin accepting COVID-19 home tests as proof of a positive test if uploaded to your myhealth.du.edu account within 48 hours of testing positive. However, you must also test at the DU Care Pod within 3 days of testing positive with the home test. The isolation period will begin on the date of the positive home test if you comply with the requirements for uploading the result and take a follow up test at the Care Pod.

Please note that DU will not accept COVID-19 home tests as proof of a negative result.

Required Testing and Outbreak Management

Beginning August 1, DU will follow the COVID-19 Outbreak Management Protocol as our revised approach to controlling the spread of COVID-19. DU will continue to monitor positivity rates and outbreaks on campus and will require DU community members to undergo mandatory testing in the following situations:

• When you are notified by the DU contact tracers that you are part of a unit experiencing an outbreak as defined by the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment as five or more confirmed and related cases of COVID-19 in a facility or group within 14 days
• When you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19
• And/or when you have been exposed to and identified as a close contact of an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19.

Door Access

On August 1, DU will allow entrance without an id card to some academic and community buildings. In September, we will expand the number of buildings in this category. You should continue to carry your ID card because more than half of DU buildings will continue to require ID access. Also, if we experience a surge in COVID-19 cases, we may return to requiring ID card access for all buildings. 

Thank you for your commitment to promoting your health and welfare and that of the DU community.

Stay well.

Eric Hartman

Executive Director, Enterprise Risk Management

Therese Mashak

Public Health Project Manager