Ron,  can you send this information to everyone?  Thanks, -Pam

Good morning.

In anticipation of the University’s phased reopening to begin May 11, 2020, we have been asked to insure that faculty, staff, and students are aware of requirements related to permission to work on campus during Phase I, required daily health self-checks prior to being on campus, and self-isolation reporting for anyone required to self-isolate under CDC guidelines.  Please share this information not only with faculty and staff, but with any graduate or undergraduate students who may be on campus during Phase I.

Exception Requests to be on campus during Phase I

As indicated in the University’s Return to Work Plan: May 2020 – August 2020 (https://www.utk.edu/coronavirus/articles/return-to-work?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=documented%20on%20our%20website&utm_campaign=chancellor-return-to-work-4-29), the University is planning to reopen under a phased approach.  During Phase I there are specific units that have been given permission to reopen, with specific guidance provided for research labs.  Faculty, staff, and students (undergraduate and graduate) who work outside of these named units are required to have an approved exception in place in order to be on campus.  Exceptions are to be requested by the supervisors or department heads for each unit by submitting the “Exception Request Form for Phase I” found on HR’s COVID-19 forms page: https://hr.utk.edu/important-forms/.  Requests for exception must be submitted at least five days prior to the individual arriving on campus and must be fully approved before the individual can report to campus.

Daily Employee Health Self-Screen App

Once an individual is approved to be on campus, either because they fall within one of the 12 approved areas for Phase I return to work, or because an exception has been granted, the individual must perform a daily health self-check prior to reporting to campus each day.  This requirement applies to faculty, staff, and students (graduate and undergraduate).  The University has developed an “Employee Self-Screen App” that must be completed each day prior to arrival on campus.  This reporting tool can also be accessed on HR’s COVID-19 forms page: https://hr.utk.edu/important-forms/. Please be sure that all faculty, staff, and students who have permission to be on campus are aware of this requirement and have been provided the link to the HR page for access to the reporting app.  These self-checks are important for the health and safety of our campus community, so please encourage individuals in your department who will be on campus to perform these checks daily and answer each question to the best of their abilities.

Required self-isolation and Self-Isolation Form

Finally, if you have faculty, staff, or students who are self-isolating per CDC guidelines, please insure those individuals complete a self-isolation form so that the University can document this information for contact tracking. 

The faculty and staff self-isolation form is found on HR’s COVID-19 forms page: https://hr.utk.edu/important-forms/. 

Self-isolation guidance and the form for students who are self-isolating is found in the University’s COVID-19 FAQ page for students: https://www.utk.edu/coronavirus/students/#im-a-ut-student-and-i-feel-sick-or-have-been-in-close-contact-with-someone-who-has-covid-19-what-should-i-do-should-i-self-isolate.  It is important that all faculty, staff, and students who are self-isolating report this information for contact tracking.

Employees in the following categories are required to self-isolate, per CDC guidelines:

·        Anyone with symptoms of possible COVID-19 infection or known to be positive for COVID-19 infection.

·        Anyone who has had close contact with someone known to be diagnosed with COVID-19. Close contact means being within about six feet of a person diagnosed with COVID-19 for a prolonged period of time (that is, more than a few minutes). Close contact can occur while caring for, living with, visiting, or sharing a health care waiting area or room with someone who has COVID-19. Close contact also means having direct contact with secretions (typically coughs and sneezes) from a person with COVID-19.

·        Anyone arriving back in the US after traveling in another country.

·        Anyone arriving from a cruise ship (ocean or river).

·        Anyone traveling from areas or cities within the U.S. where community spread of COVID-19 is ongoing. Travelers must check with state or local authorities at the starting point of their journey, along their route, and at their planned destination to learn about local circumstances and any restrictions that may be in place.

As the University moves toward a return to campus for this Fall, following these guidelines will be important to a successful and healthy return.

Arts and Sciences Administration

(865) 974-8899