A message from Human Resources Director Lisa Kobman regarding the latest in safety guidelines for all campus community members.
Mount St. Joseph University has been carefully monitoring the COVID-19 situation. We are taking the following precautions to keep our community safe. Click below for a listing of campus updates in response to the COVID-19 situation.
COVID-19 CAMPUS UPDATES
Current Students: MSJ is committed to assisting you through this challenging time. Information can be found on the Keep Learning Resources tab in myMount. Questions may be submitted through the ISS helpdesk ISS.HelpDesk@msj.edu or 513-244-.4357.
Mount Community,
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has identified a broader range of signs and symptoms of COVID-19 and the CDC and State of Ohio have issued new recommendations for COVID-19 safety. The University has incorporated this guidance into its updated COVID-19 safety guidelines as set forth below.
COVID-19 Signs and Symptoms
The CDC has identified the following mild to severe signs and symptoms of COVID-19:
- a fever greater than 100.4℉
- cough
- shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- chills
- repeated shaking with chills
- muscle pain
- headache
- sore throat
- new loss of taste or smell
These signs and symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. The CDC website has extensive resources regarding COVID-19, including a self-checker guide to help you make decisions and seek appropriate medical care, that can be accessed at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html. In addition, the CDC recommends calling 911 if you experience emergency warning signs for COVID-19, including difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, new confusion or inability to wake up, bluish lips or face.
Reporting Signs or Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Potential Exposure to COVID-19
All students and employees are expected to seek medical treatment and report to the University the fact that they have signs or symptoms (discussed above), a diagnosis (discussed below), or potential exposure to COVID-19 (also discussed below) as follows:
Remaining residential students who have COVID-19 signs or symptoms, have been diagnosed with COVID-19, or were potentially exposed to COVID-19 must avoid leaving the Residence Hall and immediately call 513-244-4408 to report the fact that they have signs or symptoms, a diagnosis, or a potential exposure to COVID-19 to the University’s Health Services Manager, Amy Demko. After normal business hours, remaining residential students must avoid leaving the Residence Hall and immediately (i) call their healthcare provider or the Tri-Health Emergency Room at 513-246-9800 for instructions, and (ii) report the fact that they have signs or symptoms, a diagnosis, or a potential exposure to COVID-19 to the University’s Health Services Manager, Amy Demko, by phone at 244-4408.
All other students who have COVID-19 signs or symptoms, have been diagnosed with COVID-19, or were potentially exposed to COVID-19 must not come to campus or any University event and must immediately (i) call their healthcare provider for instructions, and (ii) report the fact that they have signs or symptoms, a diagnosis, or a potential exposure to COVID-19 to the University’s Health Services Manager, Amy Demko, by phone at 244-4408.
Additional healthcare information for students regarding COVID-19 can be accessed at: https://mymount.msj.edu/ICS/Mount_Community/Wellness_Center/.
Faculty or staff who have COVID-19 signs or symptoms, have been diagnosed with COVID-19, or were potentially exposed to COVID-19 must not come to campus or any University event and must immediately (i) call their healthcare provider for instructions, and (ii) report the fact that they have signs or symptoms, a diagnosis, or a potential exposure to COVID-19 to the University’s Director of Human Resources, Lisa Kobman, by phone at 513-244-4979.
Diagnosis and Potential Exposure to COVID-19
To help you understand when to stay home and follow reporting procedures, please note that a COVID-19 diagnosis can be confirmed by laboratory testing or the medical judgment of a healthcare provider.
A potential exposure occurs in an individual when a household member or intimate partner has COVID-19; when providing in-home care for an individual with COVID-19 without using recommended infection control precautions; when there is direct contact with a person with COVID-19 for any period of time; or when there is close contact (less than 6 feet) with a person with COVID-19 for longer than a few minutes. If you have had this type of contact during the period of time beginning 48 hours prior to the onset of an individual’s symptoms and ending when the individual is no longer contagious (as set forth below), you have a potential exposure to COVID-19.
Access to Campus After Signs or Symptoms, Diagnosis, or Potential Exposure to COVID-19
Before anyone with current or recent signs or symptoms, diagnosis, or potential exposure to COVID-19 may visit campus or return to work on campus, they must comply with the following standards (based on the CDC’s guidelines for discontinuation of home isolation):
- Anyone with a potential exposure to COVID-19 must not visit campus for 14 days after the date of the last potential exposure.
- Anyone with COVID-19 signs or symptoms or diagnosis must not visit campus until they satisfy all of the conditions in one of the following scenarios:
- If the individual will not have a test to determine if they are still contagious, then the individual must stay home/off campus until they have had no fever for at least 72 hours (without the use of fever reducing medicine), the other symptoms have improved, and at least 7 days have passed since the symptoms first appeared.
- If the individual will be tested to determine if they are still contagious or if the individual is immunocompromised, then the individual must stay home/off campus until they have had no fever (without the use of fever reducing medicine), the other symptoms have improved, and the individuals received two negative tests in a row, 24 hours apart.
- Anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19 but does not have any symptoms must not visit campus until at least 7 days have passed since the date of the first positive test and they continue to have no symptoms since the test. For 3 more days, the individual must stay at least 6 feet away from others and wear a face mask covering their nose and mouth when other people are present.
- If, due to the individual’s particular circumstances, other procedures related to the discontinuation of home isolation are recommended by the individual’s health care provider, a local public health official, or the CDC (e.g. a longer home isolation, testing prior to discontinuation of home isolation, etc.), those recommendations must be followed.
Approved Employees and Visitors Coming to Campus During “Remote Work Status”
All employees and visitors must follow the University’s screening procedures to gain entry to campus and they must comply with COVID-19 precautions at all times while on campus during “remote work status.” Please review the attached document explaining the University’s campus visitor procedures and questionnaire for coming to campus. This process is being used to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 on campus and among members of the campus community.
For employees and visitors who come to campus, the following procedures apply:
- All employees must obtain approval from their supervisor and Interim Police Chief Kevin Koo before visiting or working from campus.
- Beginning Monday, May 4, 2020, all authorized visitors, including employees, must wear a cloth face covering or disposable, multi-use mask at all times when they are on campus (even when they are at least 6 feet away from another person). Employees are expected to provide their own cloth face covering for use on campus; however, the University will make disposable, multi-use masks available to employees in the Seton Center Lobby when they complete the COVID-19 Campus Visitor Questionnaire each day. Information from the CDC about wearing and making cloth face coverings is available at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/DIY-cloth-face-covering-instructions.pdf.
- All employees must take their temperature and monitor for other COVID-19 signs or symptoms before coming to campus. If any employee does not have a thermometer at home, please contact Lisa Kobman at lisa.kobman@msj.edu.
- All employees must enter through the Seton Center Lobby and park in designated parking areas.
- Upon entering the Seton Center Lobby, all employees must use their own pen and complete the daily COVID-19 Campus Visitor Questionnaire, a stack of which will be left on an intake table. Alternatively, employees must complete the electronic COVID-19 Campus Visitor Questionnaire at computer stations set-up in the Seton Center Lobby. Employees must maintain a social distance of at least 6 feet when they approach the intake table or stations and complete the daily COVID-19 Campus Visitor Questionnaire. Completed forms must be left in the bin or submitted electronically and will be reviewed by HR daily. Employees must follow all hygiene and sanitation protocols set forth at the intake table or stations.
- If any employee has signs or symptoms, a diagnosis, or potential exposure to COVID-19 that prohibits entry when they complete the daily COVID-19 Campus Visitor Questionnaire, the employee MUST immediately return home and may not enter campus. The employee MUST comply with the return-to-work/return-to-campus requirements before attempting to return to campus.
- After completing the daily COVID-19 Campus Visitor Questionnaire and being permitted access to campus, employees must verbally check-in at the Front Desk, while maintaining at least a 6 foot social distance from the police officer at the Front Desk, before reporting to work.
- Upon leaving campus, all employees must verbally check-out at the Front Desk and maintain at least a 6 foot social distance from the police officer at the Front Desk.
- If an employee has invited any essential visitor to campus (e.g., for building maintenance), it is your responsibility to ensure that the visitor is notified of and complies with the daily COVID-19 screening procedures outlined in the attached document. You must also contact Interim Police Chief Kevin Koo at 513-244-4226 to alert him of any essential visitors that you have invited to campus. You are required to meet your visitor in the Seton Lobby to verify that these procedures have been followed while practicing social distancing of at least 6 feet. All essential visitors must be directed to enter campus through the Seton Center Lobby and to adhere to the University’s daily COVID-19 screening procedures, including the wearing of a cloth facial covering or disposable, multi-use mask at all times.
If you have any questions about the updated daily COVID-19 screening procedures, please contact Lisa Kobman at lisa.kobman@msj.edu or 513-244-4979.
COVID-19 Safety Guidelines Apply To All Employees, Including Those Working Remotely
All employees, including those working remotely, must follow all University COVID-19 safety guidelines. This includes, but is not limited to, following all recommended COVID-19 precautions and reporting any COVID-19 signs or symptoms, diagnosis, or potential exposures, as set forth above.
Lisa Kobman, SPHR
Human Resources Director
Mount St. Joseph University
5701 Delhi Road | Cincinnati, OH 45233-1672
Office: 513-244-4979 | Fax: 513-672-9019