Dear Graduate Students,

As you prepare to start the Spring semester and return to campus, we wanted to provide some additional information and updates.

Start Smart: The First Two Weeks of the Semester
As you know, all instruction for the first two weeks of the semester will be held entirely online. In-person classes will begin meeting on Jan. 31, while online courses will be held online all semester as scheduled. Students completing internships or clinical placements should continue to follow the guidance and policies of their placement sites regarding in-person activities and COVID-19 precautions.

Campus Services Are Open: During the first two weeks of the semester, the Fitness & Aquatic Center, Library, and dining services, along with other student support services, will be open and available to students on the Evergreen Campus. You can find the Fitness & Aquatic Center’s hours posted on the FAC website, and the Library’s hours will be on the Library website. All hours are subject to change.
Books: The bookstore offers you the option of picking up books in person or having them shipped to your home.
Masks: Masks must be worn indoors at all times except when eating or when in personal living spaces. All members of the Loyola community are strongly encouraged to wear KN95s or a cloth mask doubled with a surgical mask for the time being. Every student who will be attending classes in person will be provided with two KN95 masks. Students will receive instructions from their graduate programs on how to obtain their masks. 

Vaccine and Booster Requirements
All graduate students participating in in-person classes or activities on the Evergreen campus, Timonium or Columbia graduate centers, downtown Baltimore, or the Loyola Clinical Centers must submit proof of COVID-19 vaccination and boosters (if eligible), excepting only those who have an approved medical or religious exemption.

You should upload proof of COVID-19 vaccination and booster to the Loyola Student Health Portal; proof of initial vaccination is due immediately, and proof of a booster vaccine is due by Jan. 31, 2022.

If students will not be eligible in time to meet that deadline, you are asked to receive your booster as soon as you are eligible and submit documentation. Student Health Services will reach out to you via email if you are not in compliance. You can learn more on the Health and Safety page of the Loyola COVID website. You can find details about how to register for an upcoming booster clinic at Loyola or Notre Dame of Maryland University on our COVID Vaccine FAQ page.

Changes to Isolation/Quarantine Protocols
We are amending our isolation and quarantine protocols in line with the current guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

• Symptomatic students who test positive must isolate for 5 days, be fully asymptomatic for 24 hours, and test negative on day 6. If they have continued symptoms or test positive on day 6, they must isolate for the full 10 days. Students who test negative on day 6 must stay masked for the full 10 days.
• Asymptomatic students who test positive must isolate for 5 days and test on day 6. If they are negative, they will be released from isolation, but they must stay masked everywhere (indoors and outdoors and in personal living spaces) for the full 10 days except while eating and sleeping. If they test positive on day 6, they must continue to isolate and will be tested again on day 8. Students continuing to test positive will need to isolate for the full 10 days.
  If the testing or telemedicine visit would fall on a Saturday or Sunday, it will be scheduled for Monday.

These protocols apply to students who are currently in isolation and for all students moving forward. You can find more information about the protocols on the COVID website.

Thank you also for your patience and understanding and for recognizing that the Student Health Services team is dealing with many of the same challenges that healthcare facilities are facing across the nation.

Conclusion
The University will be monitoring the status of COVID-19 on campus and in our community and will continue to take additional steps for the safety of the community and to support our students. We expect the omicron variant to cause a high number of cases but to pass relatively quickly. Our community has navigated the pandemic so well, and we are looking forward to a great semester together.

Thank you for doing your part to keep our Loyola community healthy and safe.

Sincerely,

The Rapid Response Team
COVIDResponse@Loyola.edu
Loyola.edu/COVID