Beginning April 19, 2021, faculty and staff who are fully vaccinated will no longer be required to participate in routine testing.
- A person is considered fully vaccinated ≥2 weeks following the receipt of the second dose in a 2-dose series (Pfizer/Moderna) or one dose of a single-dose vaccine (Johnson and Johnson)
- Please upload your vaccination status to Healthy Pitzer: www.pitzer.edu/healthypitzer to be eligible.
Pitzer strongly encourages our staff and faculty to get vaccinated when you are able. Vaccination has proven to be safe and effective and is the best way to protect yourself and your community. If you have any questions regarding vaccination, please contact River at (909) 607-2180 or [email protected].
If you develop symptoms of COVID-19 (cough, fever, shortness of breath, sore throat, fatigue, loss of taste/smell etc.) or have been exposed to a positive case please notify River even if you are fully vaccinated. River and HHB physicians will evaluate if you need testing or further follow up care.
Faculty and staff who are not fully vaccinated and come to campus on a regular basis will be required to continue testing for COVID-19 on a routine basis as a condition of their presence on campus as outlined below:
- Faculty and staff who come to campus two or three days per week will be required to test once per week.
- Faculty and staff who come to campus four or more days per week or live on campus will be required to test twice per week.
- Faculty and staff who come to campus one day per week will not be required to test routinely.
- Faculty and staff who come to campus intermittently, on an irregular schedule, will not be required to test routinely
- If you have tested positive for COVID-19 you will not be required to participate in routine testing for 90 days following your positive test as long as you no longer have symptoms. After the 90 days, testing will resume as scheduled.
Scheduling a COVID-19 Testing Appointment through Healthy Pitzer
To facilitate this process, faculty and staff members who plan to be on campus on a routine basis are asked to schedule themselves for their weekly or twice weekly testing using Healthy Pitzer at www.pitzer.edu/healthypitzer or go to the Pitzer website>Resources>Daily Health screening. You can find instructions for scheduling here: www.pitzer.edu/information-technology/healthy-pitzer-appointment/
This is important to (1) ensure that we know who will be on campus on a given day, (2) facilitate contact tracing and (3) efficiently allocate COVID-19 tests for those who are required to be on campus, who will maintain a regular presence on campus and those members of our community who are symptomatic or believe they have been exposed. If you are unsure of your testing frequency, please contact HHB nurse River Santee at [email protected] or (909) 607-2180.
All routine testing will be done at the Benson Atrium on campus (see map below). Faculty and staff members will receive test results directly from the lab within 24 to 48 hours.
- If you are on campus two or three days per week, you will be tested once on the earliest day you are on campus. If you are on campus four or more days per week, you will be tested on a Monday-Wednesday or Tuesday-Thursday schedule.
- Tests will only be performed within scheduled hours; those faculty and staff who fail to get tested as scheduled will be expected to leave campus and to consult with their supervisor and VP on next steps.
- If you have symptoms of COVID-19 or have had a known exposure to a sick patient contact HHB nurse River Santee at [email protected] or (909) 607-2180 (x72180) before going in for your routine testing appointment.
- Those who test positive for COVID-19 will be contacted by River Santee, who will provide further instructions for quarantine or isolation. River Santee will also initiate contact tracing and will contact those who may have been exposed.
Given the contagious nature of COVID-19, we are asking faculty and staff who are on campus routinely to stick to their approved schedules. Should a schedule change, faculty and staff members will be expected to consult with their supervisor or VP, who will let HR know of the change.
Testing for Employees Who Do Not Fall Under the Policy:
If staff or faculty would like to be tested at our on-campus clinic but do not come to campus frequently enough to fall under our testing policy, they will be allotted one free test per month. They will be charged $75 per test for any additional testing. This applies only to healthy individuals who would like testing for personal reasons. If you are symptomatic or exposed to a positive case this would be a diagnostic test and would be free of charge. As a reminder Pitzer is responsible for the cost of every test, which is currently $75. Testing may also be obtained for free with use of insurance through your healthcare provider.
Testing for Symptomatic or Exposed Staff and Faculty:
Any staff or faculty who have symptoms of COVID-19 or have had a known exposure to a sick patient must contact HHB nurse River Santee at [email protected] or (909) 607-2180 (x72180) as soon as possible. River will provide diagnostic testing for those who meet criteria. Diagnostic testing will be a same day or next day drive-up appointment. The drive-up testing will be located in marked parking spots at Holden parking lot, instructions will be provided before testing.
Outside Testing:
If you are diagnosed with COVID-19 or test positive through a non-Pitzer testing site, AND you have been on campus in the fourteen days prior the first day of symptoms, you must immediately report that information to HHB Nurse River Santee at (909) 607-2180 (x72180) or [email protected]. This is required so that we may report to the State of California, as well as our workers’ compensation carrier, per changes in state laws effective January 1.
Testing Family Members/Partners:
Our on-campus clinic is available to family members and partners of Pitzer faculty and staff. If a member of your family needs to be tested, please contact HHB Nurse River Santee at 909) 607-2180 (x72180) or [email protected]. Please note that, effective March 1st, 2021, you will be charged $75.00 for each test for each family member.
Changes in Notification Procedures:
New legal and regulatory mandates will bring new notifications to members of our Pitzer College community if there is an outbreak. California’s Office of Occupational Safety and Health now mandates notice be given within one business day to all employees who occupy an “exposed workplace” when there are multiple COVID-19 infections or outbreaks in a single location. As a result, you may receive notices from the College from time to time as we track COVID-19 cases in our community.
As a reminder:
- A COVID-19 case is defined as a person who has tested positive, is subject to an order to isolate from a health professional or public health official or who has died from COVID-19.
- You are at risk for exposure if you were within six feet of the person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more, with or without the use of face coverings, over a 24-hour period, or had unprotected contact with the person’s body fluids and/or secretions (for example being coughed or sneezed on, sharing utensils or saliva) or provided care without using appropriate protective equipment.
- We will be sending out notices within one business day to faculty and staff who work in a particular workspace in cases of multiple COVID cases in a single location. If contact tracing reveals that you are at risk of exposure, you will be contacted by HHB Nurse River Santee.
Additionally, resources are available for anyone who needs wellbeing assistance:
Employee Assistance Program: The EAP is administered by OptumHealth and is available to benefits-eligible staff and faculty for free counseling support during this stressful period.
You may contact the EAP by calling (800) 234-5465. You can also find information and resources online at www.liveandworkwell.com
