COVID-19 Virus Transmission and Health and Safety Measures
SARS-CoV-2 (the cause of COVID-19) is considered a novel (new) coronavirus, that is, one to which humans had never previously been exposed, so it is different from other corona viruses that display mild symptoms like the common cold. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/how-covid...), the virus is spread mainly from person to person and mainly through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks. It is also thought to spread easily through “community spread”, which is where the virus is transmitted from person to person in an area and may be transmitted by those who are asymptomatic and are unsure how or where they became infected. This document describes the health and safety measures that units can put in place to minimize COVID-19 health and safety risks in campus operations, but we are also relying on individuals to protect themselves and others by:
- Wearing face coverings as required per U-M face covering Policy
- Getting a COVID-19 vaccine
- Practicing good hand hygiene through frequent, thorough handwashing
- Observing posted signs with specific guidance on infection control requirements
For more information on the latest information about COVID-19, visit the CDC web site at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
Vaccination Requirements
Vaccination Requirements The University of Michigan’s COVID-19 vaccination requirement is an important and effective step to protect our community from COVID-19. All U-M faculty, staff, and students – including Michigan Medicine – are required to remain up to date with COVID-19 vaccination, which includes receiving all series of a vaccine and any additional boosters when eligible. There are limited exemptions to the policy. This policy is subject to change as the pandemic and public health guidance continue to evolve. It will be regularly reviewed as public health guidance dictates.
University of Michigan COVID-19 Vaccination Policy
- Vaccinations: The U-M COVID-19 Vaccination Policy remains in place requiring that all students, faculty and staff be up-to-date on their vaccinations by completing their primary COVID-19 vaccination series and one booster, with limited exemptions. Report COVID-19 vaccination information using the Vax Viewer tool.
- Reporting additional doses: Members of the university community who have received a second COVID-19 booster dose or any additional doses now have the option to submit that information to the university. Submitting second booster/additional COVID-19 vaccination information is not required under the U-M COVID-19 Vaccination Policy.
As stated, the policy only applies to U-M faculty, staff and students and therefore does not apply to visitors, or third party vendors. Michigan Medicine has additional policies for the Health System. Units are only expected to notify non U-M entities of the requirement to fill out ResponsiBLUE Guest on a daily basis. If units want to require vaccination status for affiliated groups of programs not covered by the current policy, they should contact the Office of the General Counsel who will provide information and support about the approval process. There is not a centralized process for tracking non- U-M individuals. See the gatherings section for more information as it pertains to vaccination status.
University of Michigan Face Covering Policy for COVID-19
COVID-19 Guidance for fall 2022
We will implement the following changes on November 1, 2022, with the exception of changes to pre-procedure testing, which will take several weeks to operationalize. These strategies are subject to change as the situation warrants:
Masking
- Workforce members in U-M Health patient care areas must continue to wear masks in areas where patients may be present.
- Masks are optional in non-clinical Medical School buildings.
- When CDC COVID-19 Community Level in our area is high, masks are highly recommended in all spaces; however, in designated areas where patients do not have access, masking will be optional for workforce members.
- The Department of Infection Prevention and Epidemiology is closely monitoring clusters and will reinstitute masking, as needed, for outbreak control.
Weekly COVID-19 Testing
- Due to current vaccine breakthrough data, workforce members who are not up to date on COVID-19 vaccines will no longer need to be tested weekly.
Entrance Screening
Active screening of workforce members by attendants at U-M Health entrances will be discontinued. Please wear your U-M badge so the screeners can delineate between patient/guest and employee/learner. Workforce members are advised to fill out the Responsiblue survey and follow up with Occupational Health Services if they have concerning symptoms.
- Screening of patients and visitors at U-M Health entrances will continue.
- Capacity for waiting rooms can increase as deemed appropriate by teams in specific areas. The process in place for symptom screening an alternate pathway for potentially infectious patients as well are masking requirements are strategies to mitigate exposure risks.
Visitors
- Patients in our adult hospitals will be permitted two visitors at a time. This includes inpatients and those coming for a procedure, outpatient visit, or lab/radiology work. This excludes Adult Emergency Services, which will continue to allow one visitor per patient. The updated visitor policy can be found in PolicyStat.
- Masks are still required for all U-M Health visitors.
Pre-procedure Testing
- Our clinical PPE model (N95 and eye protection for all aerosol generating procedures) has been protective, regardless of patient COVID-19 status.
- Pre-procedure COVID-19 testing within 96 hours of patient procedures will no longer be required. This will likely roll out later in November.
- Testing can be ordered if clinically relevant (i.e., anticipated poor outcome in patient if procedure is performed on a COIVD-19 positive patient)
- Testing will continue upon arrival to inform appropriate placement for all admissions.
August 19, 2022
Michigan Medicine policies, protocols and guidelines are not changing in relation to COVID-19.
With that in mind, masks continue to be required in all clinical buildings. Additionally, weekly testing continues to be required for non-bargained for Michigan Medicine employees who are not fully vaccinated per the Michigan Medicine COVID-19 vaccination policy. Bargained for staff should refer to their respective collective bargaining agreements and corresponding MOUs for information on their requirements.
Ann Arbor campus
To help prepare for the fall term, I wanted to share updates on our campus's preparations for, and community expectations around, COVID-19, monkeypox (often referred to as MPV) and seasonal influenza.
Our ability to protect ourselves against COVID-19 has evolved as our knowledge of the disease has increased and better treatments have become widely available. In many ways the response to COVID-19 has shifted to individual risk assessment and adoption of vaccination, testing, masking, and interaction with others (including travel) that align with that individual risk. Members of our campus community are encouraged to take several actions to further reduce the spread of the virus and the disruption it can have on our daily lives.
The following COVID-19 guidance from the university's Public Health Response team for the Ann Arbor campus for fall is based on current conditions, and may change depending upon the ongoing evolution of the pandemic or emerging guidance from the broader public health community:
- Vaccinations: The U-M COVID-19 Vaccination Policy remains in place requiring that all students, faculty and staff be up-to-date on their vaccinations by completing their primary COVID-19 vaccination series and one booster, with limited exemptions. Report COVID-19 vaccination information using the Vax Viewer tool.
- Reporting additional doses: Members of the university community who have received a second COVID-19 booster dose or any additional doses now have the option to submit that information to the university. Submitting second booster/additional COVID-19 vaccination information is not required under the U-M COVID-19 Vaccination Policy.
- Testing:
- Students should plan to test before traveling to Ann Arbor. Anyone who tests positive should delay their arrival until they have completed their isolation.
- Effective August 29, 2022, weekly testing is no longer required, though strongly encouraged, for members of the university community who have an exemption from COVID-19 vaccination. At this phase of the pandemic, testing of the community continues to provide helpful surveillance information. Michigan Medicine employees should continue to follow the established protocols.
- Testing for asymptomatic COVID-19 will remain available through the Community Sampling and Tracking Program (CSTP) for U-M students and employees who are interested in testing. Those who are not up to date on their COVID-19 vaccinations are encouraged to test regularly, but are no longer required to do so.
- Everyone is encouraged to have antigen tests on hand for immediate testing should you develop symptoms. These are available through many government resources, at local pharmacies, and at CSTP sites.
- Masking:
- Masking for most indoor spaces on campus, including instructional spaces, is not required. While faculty members and instructors cannot require masks in classrooms, they are encouraged to remind individuals of actions each can take, like masking, based on their own individual risk assessment. Recommendations will be aligned with the CDC's COVID-19 community level for Washtenaw County. Please note, the COVID-19 community level for Washtenaw County currently is "Medium," and it is recommended that individuals who are immunocompromised or at high risk for severe disease wear a mask while indoors.
- Masks will however remain required in patient care areas (e.g. Michigan Medicine, University Health Service, and the Dental School clinical areas) and at U-M COVID-19 testing sites as noted under the U-M Face Covering Policy.
- Please respect the decisions of others in our community who choose to wear a mask based on their own individual risk assessment.
- In ongoing consultation with the Washtenaw County Health Department, the U-M Public Health Response team will continue to monitor COVID-19 activity and may revise masking requirements as indicated.
- Vaccination policy compliance: ResponsiBLUE, the daily symptom checker, will continue to be the personal tool to track compliance with the university's vaccination policy and other COVID-19 requirements. All members of the U-M community and guests coming to campus are encouraged to use ResponsiBLUE for daily screening as it will continue to be required to access certain buildings, and to seek appropriate care and testing if they have symptoms.
- Stay home when sick: Individuals are advised to stay home if they are sick, with support from their supervisors and instructors. This helps reduce the likelihood of spreading a range of infections including COVID-19 and other illnesses.
- Treatment: COVID-19 treatment options should be discussed with your healthcare provider. Students can contact University Health Service regarding treatment options.
- COVID-19 isolation: All students should have individual plans for isolation in the event they have a positive COVID-19 test. A limited inventory of isolation housing space will remain available and this space will be prioritized for use by students with a residence hall contract who test positive for COVID-19 and must relocate.
For the latest information and updates related to COVID-19, please visit the U-M Health Response website at: https://healthresponse.umich.edu/.
MASK POLICY UPDATE AT MICHIGAN MEDICINE
August 19, 2022
- Masking for most indoor spaces on campus, including instructional spaces, is not required. While faculty members and instructors cannot require masks in classrooms, they are encouraged to remind individuals of actions each can take, like masking, based on their own individual risk assessment. Recommendations will be aligned with the CDC's COVID-19 community level for Washtenaw County. Please note, the COVID-19 community level for Washtenaw County currently is "Medium," and it is recommended that individuals who are immunocompromised or at high risk for severe disease wear a mask while indoors.
- Masks will however remain required in patient care areas (e.g. Michigan Medicine, University Health Service, and the Dental School clinical areas) and at U-M COVID-19 testing sites as noted under the U-M Face Covering Policy.
April 28, 2022 // FOUND IN: Updates & Resources
Effective Monday, May 2, U-M will be relaxing some of its masking policies on the Ann Arbor campus. The changes that apply to Michigan Medicine include:
- Optional masking on U-M buses and People’s Express shuttles
- Optional masking in classrooms and instructional areas within the medical school
Please note that Michigan Medicine is not changing any of the masking policies for clinical areas, which require masks in any areas where patients may be present, for their care or other billing and administrative purposes.
Therefore, if you work in a clinical building, masks are still required at all times. This includes on the main medical campus, all ambulatory care clinics and other remote facilities that patients may visit.
If you work off the main medical campus in a building that does not receive any patient traffic, the new mask policy will apply.
For the latest information and updates related to COVID-19, please visit the Campus Maize and Blueprint at: https://campusblueprint.umich.edu/.
Effective March 14, 2022
Effective March 14, masks will be optional for indoor spaces on the University of Michigan campuses with the exception that masks remain required in all classrooms and instructional spaces during class time, patient care areas (e.g Michigan Medicine, University Health Service and the Dental School clinical areas), U-M Covid-19 testing sites and U-M buses. The masking requirement in these settings will remain in place for at least the duration of the current term.
Mask use is still suggested as an effective strategy for enhanced personal protection, especially for those with compromised immune status, those who are not vaccinated or up to date on their COVID-19 vaccinations, and anyone with a perceived increased situational risk.
This policy applies to all students, faculty, staff and visitors – regardless of vaccination status – on the Ann Arbor, Flint and Dearborn campuses as well as U-M controlled properties off campus. Certain units, such as University of Michigan – Health and the UM Children’s Centers, may issue local level policies that supersede this policy and must be followed as applicable.
NOTE: Positive or exposed individuals are still required to mask through Day 10 of their isolation or quarantine period.
As exceptions to the requirement stated above, instances where an individual is not required to wear a face covering are when that individual is:
- under the age of 2 years old;
- someone who is unable to remove a face covering without assistance;
- required to wear assigned respiratory protection for the job tasks they are performing;
- granted a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)1;
- involved in an activity, including certain types of instruction, where wearing a face covering may present an impediment to instruction or present a safety hazard provided that a risk assessment is performed and reviewed by U-M EHS; If approved for this exception, instructors must continue to maintain a physical distance of twelve feet from others.
- communicating with someone who is hearing impaired or otherwise disabled and where the ability to see the mouth is essential to communication (in such circumstances, alternatives such as clear face coverings and other accommodations must also be explored);
- receiving a service for which temporary removal of the face covering is necessary to perform the service;
- removing a face covering for brief periods to allow for photography-When utilizing this exception distancing from others remains strongly recommended.
- asked to temporarily remove a face covering for identification purposes.
1For information on requesting such accommodations, please contact the Equity Civil Rights and Title IX Office.