If I’ve tested positive for COVID-19, when can I return to campus?

According to the CDC, a high-risk exposure generally involves exposure of eyes, nose or mouth, particularly if the individual was in contact of less than 6 feet for a period more than 15 minutes with a person infected with COVID-19.

Starting July 6, all employees returning to any UCF campus are expected to self-check by filling out a symptom and exposure screening form in the UCF Mobile app. The COVID-19 Self-Checker is required to be completed each time an employee returns to on-site work, and supervisors will receive notifications about employees not cleared to return to the office.

Paper versions of the questionnaire are available in English and Spanish on Human Resources’ website.

All employees returning to the workplace also are required to complete the training “Returning to Campus Operations” in Webcourses that outlines health and safety protocols each of us is expected to follow.

Employees who have tested positive for COVID-19 or have been in proximity to someone who has must stay home and not come to UCF.

On June 1, employees with the following titles started returning to campus, keeping occupancy at or below 30 percent capacity. These employees are responsible for maintaining that capacity limit and are intentionally being brought back to the workplace in advance of most others to allow ample time for developing plans and making adjustments that allow for a gradual, flexible return to campus:

• Vice presidents and associate and assistant vice presidents
• Deans and associate and assistant deans
• Directors

Most other employees will start their transition back to campus later in June following the guidance that supervisors will be developing over the coming weeks with support from Human Resources. Employees should work directly with their supervisors on their work schedule and accommodations.

If you become ill with symptoms of COVID-19, stay home and contact your primary care physician, who will determine whether testing or treatment is needed. Avoid contact with other people and social gatherings to keep from spreading your illness to others. Employees should also notify their supervisor that they are ill and not able to return to work and follow the instructions of their healthcare provider.

Testing can be obtained at one of the two COVID-19 testing sites at UCF in partnership with Aventus Biolabs or at a location near you. To obtain a test at one of the UCF sites:

• UCF students: Reach out to Student Health Services to obtain an ordered test by calling 407-823-2509
• UCF faculty and staff: Contact UCF Health, which will provide a telehealth appointment or help obtain an ordered test from your primary care provider by calling 407-266-3627

Also follow these best practices while awaiting test results and if you test positive for COVID-19:

• Do not leave your home, except to get medical care, until cleared by your healthcare provider.
• Do not share household items.
• Wear a mask around others if contact is necessary.

Employees who can continue to work remotely should, especially those at high risk of complications from COVID-19. Continued physical distancing and proper safety precautions remain critical, and this may mean a blend of remote and in-person work for some employees.

Supervisors should consider the individual needs and circumstances of their employees and are advised to remain flexible and understanding, knowing that some employees do not need to work from campus, may not feel comfortable doing so at this time, or have special circumstances that would hinder them from working on campus. Employees should work with their supervisors on their work schedule and arrangements.

Special circumstances include having a higher health risk according to CDC guidelines, being restricted by a medical isolation order or having dependent-care responsibilities.

If there is the possibility that you have been exposed to COVID-19 because a colleague has tested positive, you will be notified directly. Through contact tracing, the Department of Health will assess and inform all persons who may be at risk and require quarantine and/or testing. In line with public health practices and medical and student privacy laws, only those who would need to know about confirmed COVID-19 cases for personal health and safety reasons will be informed.

The Department of Health will notify UCF of all known or suspected cases at UCF, and confirmed cases will be shared with the public via a forthcoming dashboard feature on the COVID-19 website that lists confirmed cases of COVID-19 that involve a student or faculty or staff member. The dashboard will be generic in nature, in accordance with medical and student privacy laws and public health best practices.

Campus housing, Environmental Health and Safety or other areas will be apprised of known or suspected cases and the need for isolation, quarantine and appropriate cleaning and disinfecting measures.

Supervisors should flexible with employees balancing multiple roles due to the impact of COVID-19. Continued remote work with flexible hours and leave options may be the preference of employees with dependent-care responsibilities. Employees should work with their supervisors on their work schedule and accommodations.

The Creative School for Children is planning for a tentative, “soft” reopening on June 1 with limited services and with new health and safety protocols. Information will be shared via email with currently enrolled families.

If you test positive for COVID-19, stay home and do not come to UCF. Avoid contact with other people and social gatherings to keep from spreading your illness to others.

Employees should notify their supervisor that they are ill and not able to return to work and follow the instructions of their healthcare provider. All students and faculty and staff members should notify UCF that they have tested positive for COVID-19 by calling Student Health Services at 407-823-2509.

This will ensure that robust tracing of cases at UCF has started and will help the university identify and contain potentially impacted populations. UCF will continue to partner with state and local health officials to regularly monitor rates of new cases. Student volunteers will partner with the Florida Department of Health as contact tracers beginning this summer and will work with faculty from the College of Medicine and College of Nursing.

If you know that you have had close contact with a co-worker, visitor, family member or other individual who has confirmed COVID-19 you should stay home and contact your primary care physician, who will determine whether testing or treatment is needed. Avoid contact with other people and social gatherings to keep from spreading your illness to others. Employees should also notify their supervisor that they are ill and not able to return to work and follow the instructions of their healthcare provider.

A high-risk exposure generally involves exposure of eyes, nose or mouth, particularly if the individual was in contact of less than 6 feet for a period more than 15 minutes with a person infected with COVID-19.

Personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies are in high demand. Some labs may already regularly stock these materials, and the faculty and students in those labs are encouraged to use those supplies first.

If you do not have what you need, please call UCF’s Department of Emergency Management at 407-882-7111.

Face coverings and proper cleaning and disinfecting supplies are required before faculty and student researchers can return to labs.

Meetings, training sessions and other group discussions should continue to occur in virtual platforms, rather than traditional face-to-face meetings, as much as possible. Some of the available tools are Skype, Teams and Zoom. Continued physical distancing remains critical to prevent further spread of COVID-19.

No. Student and public-facing services that are being offered remotely should continue to function through the duration of the summer semesters. However, employees may be permitted to complete their work at their office, remotely, or a blend of the two utilizing the guidance provided by UCF and with the approval of their supervisor.

Students currently working in OPS positions who can work remotely should be permitted to continue to do so, especially if they have vacated their on-campus housing and/or do not have current living arrangements near UCF that allow them to return to in-person work.

Supervisors have the discretion to allow their OPS student employees to return to in-person work if students are able to, following the university guidelines.

Personal domestic and international travel is strongly discouraged during this unique time in an effort to best protect you and those around you.

Departments should proceed as they normally would with regular orders for office items such as soap, hand sanitizer, paper towels and other cleaning supplies. These items are especially important as employees begin returning to work and have the need to clean their personal workspaces, and departments should continue with their normal processes for procuring these supplies at their own cost.

Departments with additional needs for cleaning and disinfecting supplies beyond their regular orders should seek authorization prior to purchasing by directing their requests to eoc@ucf.edu. It is important that any new requests for items intended to prevent further spread of COVID-19 funnel through this centralized request system in case there is a possibility for future reimbursement.