Health Advisory & Campus Update

Updated September 10, 2020, 6:25 PM

To: The Stevens Community

From: Marybeth Murphy, Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs

Date: September 10, 2020

Subject: Health Advisory: Update on COVID-19 Test Results

Please review the important information below as we work together to promote a stronger, safer Stevens. Please remember to abide by the Stevens Health Honor Code whether on campus or in your community and follow all requirements, including wearing a face mask, social distancing and frequent hand washing.

COVID-19 Update on Testing

We have now received all of the results from Bergen New Bridge Medical Center (BNBMC) for COVID-19 testing conducted on campus on September 2nd and 3rd. 1,213 students, faculty and staff members were tested and all are negative.

If any member of our community tests positive for COVID-19 or has close contact with an individual who tests positive for COVID-19, please self-isolate and immediately contact Stevens Student Health Services at 201-216-5678 or [email protected].

We want to remind all members of our community to avoid non-essential travel, as well as gatherings and activities that might put them at a higher risk of COVID-19 infection. As we continue the phased reopening of our campus, it is the responsibility of each member of our community to avoid activities that might put themselves or members of their communities at risk of infection and spread of COVID-19.

Guidance on Travel to New Jersey, New York and Connecticut from 35 States and Territories with High Rates of COVID-19

Individuals traveling to NJ, NY and CT from 35 states and territories with high rates of COVID-19 infection are required to quarantine for 14 days and be tested for COVID-19 approximately five days after their arrival.

Currently, the thirty-five states and territories that are impacted by this requirement are Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin. This list will be updated each week. Check here for updates: https://covid19.nj.gov/faqs/nj-information/travel-and-transportation/which-states-are-on-the-travel-advisory-list-are-there-travel-restrictions-to-or-from-new-jersey

We strongly urge all members of our community to avoid non-essential travel to these states and territories. No person who is required to quarantine pursuant to this restriction will be permitted on Stevens’ campus until the conclusion of such quarantine and COVID-19 testing. If you are currently working on campus or are planning to return to campus during Stevens’ phased reopening plan and have visited a high risk state or territory, please remain at home and contact your supervisor, Human Resources or Student Health Services to receive guidance regarding quarantine and COVID-19 testing requirements.

COVID-19 Testing: Who Must Be Tested and How Often

All faculty, students and staff who will be on campus this fall must be tested for COVID-19 no more than five days before coming to campus for the first time and each week thereafter.

If you are planning to be on campus in person this semester, and did not receive an email regarding testing, please email Human Resources (for employees) at [email protected], Undergraduate Student Affairs (for undergraduate students) at [email protected], or Graduate Student Life at [email protected] to discuss your status and determine if COVID-19 testing is required. Please do not come to campus or go to class without providing a negative test result to Stevens at [email protected] (for students) and at [email protected] (for employees) and receiving permission to come to campus.

If your first time on campus will be later in the semester, you must be tested for COVID-19 no more than five days before you arrival on campus and submit the test results to Stevens at [email protected] (for students) and at [email protected] (for employees). Once your negative test results are received, you receive an email granting permission for you to come to campus and will be included in the weekly testing group thereafter.

COVID-19 On-campus Testing Site

Stevens is providing a convenient on campus testing option through Bergen New Bridge Medical Center (BNBMC) for our community to ensure that there is a quick, easy, affordable and reliable way to test and monitor results for a large number of individuals. The Rutgers’ RUCDR SARS-CoV-2 saliva test will be administered by staff from Bergen New Bridge Medical Center. Your insurance will be billed for the test; however, any costs that are not covered by insurance will be covered by Stevens.

BNBMC will provide results directly to the tested individual and to Stevens through a portal. You do not need to send your BNBMC test results to Stevens; they will be sent automatically. You will receive information about how to access the portal at the time of testing. This process eliminates the administrative burden of tracking and communicating results to a large group.

COVID-19 testing is offered on campus each week on Wednesdays and Thursdays in a tented area of the parking lot next to the Student Wellness Center. The schedule may be adjusted for holidays (i.e. Thanksgiving). For students, faculty and staff required to be tested weekly, you will receive an email each Thursday that will provide information for you to schedule your testing appointment for the following week.

If you plan to use the on campus COVID-19 testing option for your initial test, you may visit the campus testing location during your appointment time for testing and must return home immediately after testing to wait for your results. Do not visit any other areas of the campus until you receive a negative test result.

COVID-19 Testing at Other Testing Sites

While we are strongly encouraging members of our community to take advantage of this on campus testing option, we will accept test results from other testing providers. Students can send results to [email protected] and employees to [email protected]. Results from testing sites other than the BNBMC testing site at Stevens must be received by Stevens by Sunday at noon each week. While your insurance may cover the cost of testing at other sites, Stevens will only cover the cost of testing after insurance for tests conducted at the BNBMC testing site on campus.

Additional Resources on COVID-19

Sign up for Stevens Alerts

Please sign up for Stevens Alerts at https://www.stevens.edu/alerts, which is the system Stevens uses to notify our community of time-sensitive, urgent situations. Stevens Alerts is used only to transmit urgent and emergency notifications, not routine campus announcements.

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