We want to take this opportunity to welcome you back after the Fall Break and to share with you some important information regarding our Covid-19 Testing and Tracing efforts here on campus. Please take a moment to review this important information regarding the work being done to keep our community safe and healthy.
Monmouth University will continue to collaborate with the NJ Department of Health, Monmouth County Regional Health Commission No. 1 and the Monmouth County Health Department to provide free COVID-19 testing to university students and employees. Testing is conducted using a PCR nasal swab which is sent to the NJ State lab in Trenton for analysis. Test turn-around time using the State lab has been within the 24-72 hour range. Persons are contacted via email as soon as test results are obtained, including through the weekend. All are encouraged to be tested.
COVID-19 testing is Monday to Friday from 10:00am to 4:00pm. Current testing location is the tent located outside of the Health Center. Testing will be moving to an indoor location in the next several weeks. Additional information will be forthcoming. No appointments are needed; all testing is conducted on a walk-up/drive-up basis. Students who receive testing from an outside agency and test positive for COVID-19 are required to report test results to: health@monmouth.edu. This is critically important information for us to have to ensure a safe environment for all.
As per protocol, University priority testing is for those who are symptomatic or who have had direct contact with a COVID-positive person. We now a limited supply of rapid tests which will be reserved for symptomatic cases only. All rapid tests will be further confirmed with a PCR nasal swab.
Upon return from Fall Break, we will restart the surveillance testing program. Each week there will be random testing of at least 14% of residential students in addition to 25% of both the on and off-campus athletic population. We will also be reaching out to different off-campus groups for voluntary participation in the community COVID-19 testing effort.
Persons who test positive for COVID-19 and have mild to moderate or even asymptomatic disease, must isolate for 10 days during the infectious period. Once a COVID-positive person is entered into the University database, the Response and Contact Tracing Teams are notified. Such information is acted upon 7 days a week. On-campus students will be expeditiously moved into isolation housing unless they choose to go home.
Professors will be notified as follows:
- For students in isolation, all faculty assigned to the COVID-19 student receive an email stating the student is COVID positive and is provided with a return to in person class date for those classes delivered in person.
As per the CDC (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/duration-isolation.html) and NJ Department of Health, persons may be released from isolation as long as 10 days have passed from either first day of symptoms or date of test (if asymptomatic) and they no longer have symptoms. Both agencies do not endorse retesting after testing positive because recovered people can continue to shed viral COVID RNA for up to 8-12 weeks even though they are no longer contagious. Therefore, students should NOT be required to produce a negative COVID test prior to returning to the classroom or clinical setting. In addition, the CDC does not support the use of serologic antibody testing to determine the presence of infection or protection from the COVID virus.
Upon completion of isolation, students will receive an email from Health Services releasing them from isolation. This email will serve as evidence the student has completed 10 days of isolation and may resume normal activities, including return to the classroom and clinical work, if applicable.
Persons who have had direct contact with a COVID-positive person are required to quarantine for 14 days since last exposure to the COVID-positive case. Such persons should not be in the classroom or work setting. COVID-19 testing is recommended. However, a negative COVID test does not allow someone to discontinue quarantine prior to completing the full 14 day quarantine.
Professors will be notified as follows:
- For students in quarantine, the faculty that deliver in person instruction will receive an email stating the student has been placed on quarantine and is provided with a return to in-person class date.
The University has secured additional space for on-campus students to quarantine and isolate including all of Willow Hall, half of Cedar Hall and individual apartments in other residential buildings, all with own facilities and HVAC system. There are teams of university personnel to monitor students in quarantine and isolation to ensure that all their needs are met.
We hope this information is helpful to you as we return for the fall semester. Please contact VP Nagy (mnagy@monmouth.edu) or Dr. Kathy Maloney (kmaloney@monmouth.edu) with any questions you may have.
Stay safe and healthy.
Mary Anne Nagy
Kathy Maloney