It is inevitable that we will have cases of COVID-19 once we return to campus. Our goal is to ensure a plan is in place to protect the health, safety and wellbeing of our community members in a manner that is measured, effective and appropriate to the specific circumstances. Individuals reporting symptoms or exposure to COVID- 19 in our health screening questionnaire, or who show symptoms or run an elevated temperature at the building’s entrance, will not be granted access to the campus and will be referred for testing. Individuals refusing to comply with campus health and safety requirements may have their privileges for campus access revoked and/or be subject to a disciplinary process. All individuals will be reminded to notify us at anastasia.koutsidis@guttman.cuny.edu if they show symptoms or have a positive COVID test within 14 days of accessing campus.
Prior to gaining campus access, Guttman will implement CUNY’s Everbridge Solution as a daily prescreening symptom checker and symptom monitor. This will be completed remotely via online link before individuals arrive in-person to campus. Only users who answer no to all the screening questions will receive an autoreply with Green path and message: “You are able to enter the school and classes. When you arrive, you will need to have this notification ready upon entering the facility.” If a student, faculty or staff member receives autoreply with Red path and message: “Unfortunately, you are not able to enter your school or classes. Your Campus COVID-19 Liaison and Campus Coordinator will be notified. Using the Mobile App find COVID-19 testing sites near you.”
Positive answers to the screening questions (i.e., prior to accessing campus) will be reported immediately to Coronavirus Campus Coordinator/Liaison, Director of Public Safety Director Anastasia Koutsidis, who will report to the CUNY Senior VC for Institutional Affairs and will ensure immediate notification of local health officials. The liaison will also provide daily aggregation reports to allow for case monitoring and outbreak detection.
Should an individual become ill or symptomatic while on campus, the individual will be immediately separated and moved to 509A. Individuals who are sick must go home or to a healthcare facility, depending on how severe their symptoms are, and follow CDC Guidance for caring for oneself and others. If an ambulance is required to bring someone to the hospital, Guttman will notify the first responder that the person may have Covid-19.
Guttman is not equipped to transport anyone home or to a healthcare facility, however Public Safety will ensure that the individual is safely removed from the building and transported via other means to their home, doctor or other healthcare facility by coordinating the transport of the individual to one of those locations.
For a confirmed positive COVID-19 case, the following steps will be taken:
- Coronavirus Campus Coordinator will notify CUNY (Senior VC for Institutional Affairs), and immediately notify local health officials of the positive case(s) to initiate contact tracing. Guttman will follow the New York State Contact tracing guidelines and call “NYS Contact Tracing” (518-387-9993)
- Close off areas used by the affected individual and wait as long as practical before beginning cleaning and disinfection to minimize potential for exposure to respiratory droplets and to allow for viral decomposition. Increase air circulation in the area. If possible, wait up to 24 hours before beginning cleaning and disinfection as per CDC guidelines. (Ion mist equipment is currently on order to facilitate disinfection.)
- Cleaning staff with appropriate PPE will clean and disinfect all areas (e.g., offices, bathrooms, and common areas) used by the infected person, focusing especially on frequently touched surfaces. Cleaned, disinfected spaces should be available for reuse after 72 hours.
- Relocate functions from affected areas to alternative spaces (e.g., different computer lab), if possible.
- The affected individual may not return to campus until cleared by a negative COVID test.
- All exposed individuals will be notified and informed that they should self-monitor for symptoms, seek testing, and self-isolate for 14 days. If on campus, individuals will be sent home immediately. All individuals will be reminded to notify us at koutsidis@guttman.cuny.edu if they show symptoms or have a positive COVID test within 14 days of accessing campus.
The College will submit daily reports of exposure and positive cases (without identifying the infected person or people) among members of the campus community. Using that information, the Coronavirus Campus Coordinator will coordinate with CUNY and local and state health officials to monitor for and address any apparent emergent spread, cluster or outbreak on campus. We will seek out and follow all CUNY, CDC, local and state health department guidance in response to our daily reports.
For multiple affected areas or individuals:
- All affected areas will be closed for at least 72 hours to minimize potential for exposure to respiratory droplets and to allow for viral decomposition.
- As noted above, thorough cleaning and disinfection will be completed as soon as is safe and practical, given constraints on facilities staffing. The affected individuals may not return to campus until cleared by a negative COVID test.
- All exposed individuals will be notified and given guidance to self-monitor for symptoms, seek testing and self-isolate for 14 days. In cases of broad exposure, all individuals present on campus on a given day would be notified of potential exposure and given this guidance. All individuals will be reminded to notify us at koutsidis@guttman.cuny.edu if they show symptoms or have a positive COVID test within 14 days of accessing campus.
- If multiple areas of campus have been compromised, it may be necessary to close the facility for sufficient time to accomplish the necessary cleaning protocols, though this would be decided in collaboration with CUNY, state and local health authorities.
Cases in which community spread has not been contained and campus rates are increasing, or if rates are increasing citywide, it maybe be necessary to close the campus to all but essential personnel. This would be decided in collaboration with CUNY, state and local health authorities. Should closure be required, Facilities and Public Safety have the necessary personnel to close access to physical areas of the campus on a short- or long- term basis, as needed.
The Fall 2020 Semester coincides with Phase 0: No Site Access. In October 2020, we will move to Phase 1: Initial Site Access due to the need for two Guttman faculty to begin to conduct research in the Biology Laboratory. This phase does not include any in-person instruction or student support academic services.
Appendix shows the application checklist researchers must have approved for research access and includes the essential tasks that researchers would need to remain in the event of a campus ramp down (item #16).
A complete shut-down would leave only Public Safety and Facilities/IT personnel on campus, and they would secure the facility and continue its upkeep and systems maintenance. In that case, a few students could potentially still come to campus by appointment to receive technology or supplies, collected for them by Public Safety Staff, from the food bank.
