Overview
All students, employees, and guests are required to comply with the following guidelines after contracting or being directly exposed to COVID-19. This protocol incorporates guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Alachua County Health Department and the Florida Department of Health to determine the most appropriate procedure for reporting and returning to Santa Fe College after an exposure (close contact) or positive result. For the purposes of this protocol, symptoms of COVID-19 refer to those defined by the Centers for Disease Control. Currently, symptoms include fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea.
Factors to consider when evaluating exposure or close contact include such things as proximity, the duration of exposure, and whether the exposure was to a person who was coughing or sneezing. Close contact includes being within 6 feet of someone who has COVID-19 for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period starting from 2 days before illness onset (or, for asymptomatic patients, 2 days prior to test specimen collection), providing care at home to someone who is sick with COVID-19, having direct physical contact with the person (hugging or kissing them), sharing eating or drinking utensils with the person, or if the infected person sneezed, coughed, or somehow got respiratory droplets on you.
Vaccination is a factor to consider in regard to determinations for isolation and quarantine. However, vaccination status does not change the need to follow all college safety protocols for physical distancing. Those who have been vaccinated must continue to follow all safety and exposure protocols.
Reporting to College
Note: In addition to the below mandated reporting, additional information sharing is encouraged. All students and employees should contribute to a supportive but direct culture on campus that supports our mutual commitment to public health and attempts to resolve non-compliance frankly, professionally, and quickly.
Students and Employees
If individuals test positive for COVID-19, are experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19, or believe they have had close contact with someone who has COVID-19, they must stay away from college premises and inform the college as follows:
- Students must notify SF Student Affairs using the confidential online form. Students may call 352-395-5955 with questions about reporting.
- Students, with the assistance of Student Affairs if necessary, must notify their instructors to let them know that they are required to self-isolate and may be unable to attend an onsite class and/or feel unwell enough to complete online coursework.
- Employees must notify their immediate supervisor and Human Resources at human.resources@sfcollege.edu;
- TempForce employees must contact TempForce, their assigned SF supervisor and Human Resources at human.resources@sfcollege.edu.
- Construction contractors must coordinate with Facilities Services.
- In all cases, confidentiality will be preserved in accordance with the law.
Student Reporting Form
Use the confidential online form to report a COVID-19 exposure.
Notify Instructors
Let your professors know how exposure may affect you and your classwork.
Questions?
Students may call 352-395-5955 with questions about reporting.
Receiving a Student Report
Upon receipt of a student report, Student Affairs will assist as follows:
- Attempt to confirm COVID-19 status as positive or negative
- Perform contact tracing as appropriate for the workplace or learning environment
- Track student status
- Promptly notify area Vice President and Associate Vice President for Facilities Services and notify executive leadership (President’s Staff) of confirmed positive cases
- Arrange for communication with the local health department, as needed
- Notify College’s Emergency Manager (Chief of Police), Safety Coordinator, and Associate Vice President for Facilities Services about any confirmed positive cases so that the proper protocols may be followed for sanitation and communication with impacted areas.
Employees
Employees
Notify immediate supervisor and Human Resources.
Report a student exposure to Student Affairs.
Tempforce Employees
Contact Tempforce, your assigned SF supervisor and Human Resources.
Contractors
Construction contractors must coordinate with Facilities Services.
Receiving an Employee Report
Upon receipt of an employee report, Human Resources will assist as follows:
- Attempt to confirm COVID-19 status as positive or negative
- Perform contact tracing
- Track employee status
- Promptly notify area Vice President and Associate Vice President for Facilities Services and notify executive leadership (President’s Staff) of confirmed positive cases
- Arrange for communication with the local health department, as needed
- Coordinate next steps with supervisors and notify staff of any building closures
- In the event of a connection to onsite activities, notify College’s Emergency Manager (Chief of Police), Safety Coordinator, and Associate Vice President for Facilities Services about any confirmed positive cases so that the proper protocols may be followed for sanitation and communication with impacted areas.
Determination of Status
The HR Director or designee will work with the employee (with the assistance of the supervisor if needed) to determine the appropriate status of the employee. The Associate Vice President for Student Affairs or designee will work with the student to determine the appropriate status. At the discretion of the HR Director or Associate Vice President or their designee, interim measures may be enacted to mitigate potential exposures that include having individuals temporarily stay away from campus while sufficient information is gathered to make a determination of status.
For each individual, one of the following statuses will be identified:
- Asymptomatic with positive test
- Symptomatic with positive test (vaccination and prior COVID-19 positive status is not a factor)
- Symptomatic without positive test (vaccination and prior COVID-19 positive status is not a factor)
- Asymptomatic with close contact and no positive test
- Asymptomatic with close contact after having been fully vaccinated
- Asymptomatic with close contact after having tested positive for COVID-19 within the last three months
- Returning from travel
Reporting to Physician or Health Department
If individuals test positive for COVID-19, are experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19, or believe they have been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19, they should contact their physician and/or the county health department for direction.
Returning to Campus
Returning to class or work on Santa Fe College premises in accordance with CDC guidelines (Student or staff return to off-campus placements, including clinicals, internships, and student- teaching, must be coordinated between the sponsoring academic program and the off-campus site directly):
a. Asymptomatic with positive test
Asymptomatic with positive test: Persons who tested positive but have not shown symptoms of COVID-19 may return to campus after at least ten days have passed since the date of their first positive COVID-19 diagnostic test, assuming they have not subsequently developed symptoms.
b. Symptomatic with positive test
Symptomatic with positive test: Persons who tested positive and have symptoms may return to campus under any of the following conditions:
- After at least 24 hours have passed without a fever (without the use of fever-reducing medications), and
- After other symptoms of COVID-19 have improved and
- After at least ten days have passed since symptoms first appeared.
c. Symptomatic without positive test
Symptomatic without positive test: Persons who have symptoms of COVID-19 without a confirmed positive test result may return to SF when all of the following conditions are met:
- After at least 24 hours without a fever (without the use of fever-reducing medications), and
- After other symptoms of COVID-19 have improved and
- After at least ten days have passed since symptoms of COVID-19 first appeared.
d. Asymptomatic with close contact and no positive test
Asymptomatic with close contact and no positive test: Persons who have had close contact with someone who is known to be COVID-19 positive but have not shown symptoms may return to SF after 10 days have passed since date of last contact. Clarification: this does not include a situation where a member of the College community has come into close contact with another individual potentially exposed to a person who has tested positive or is presumptively positive (more than one degree of separation).
Example: Student A has a roommate, Roommate B. Roommate B works the same shift at an off-campus workplace as Worker C. The off-campus workplace was shut down for cleaning because Worker C started experiencing symptoms of COVID-19. Roommate B is told by her employer to self-isolate. If Roommate B is asymptomatic and has not tested positive, Student A can continue to come to class while physical distancing, hand-washing and other COVID-19 precautions.
e. Asymptomatic with close contact after having been fully vaccinated
Asymptomatic with close contact after having been fully vaccinated does not require quarantine.
f. Asymptomatic with close contact after having tested positive for COVID-19 within the last three months
Asymptomatic with close contact after having tested positive for COVID-19 within the last three months and cleared to return does not require quarantine based on the following conditions
- Have tested positive for COVID-19 within the last three months and have been cleared to return, and
- Have remained asymptomatic since the current COVID-19 exposure
g. Returning from travel
For domestic travel and international travel the college will comply with all executive orders and will defer to the Florida Department of Health and CDC Travel for current recommendations.
In all cases (a – g) listed above, persons must have their return to SF approved as follows:
- Student Affairs must approve all students' return to College premises
- Human Resources must approve all employees’ return to College premises
- Both TempForce and Human Resources must approve return to College premises of TempForce employees assigned to SF
- Construction contractors must coordinate with Facilities Services by calling 352-395-5521 or emailing facilities@sfcollege.edu
- Employees of auxiliaries (e.g., the bookstore and the food court) must coordinate with their supervisors and the College’s Purchasing Director
Individuals in Clinical Healthcare Settings
Notwithstanding the foregoing, for individuals who conduct professional work or have clinical experiences in health care settings, close contact to an infected person when using appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) may not require self-isolation or a delayed return to campus. Accordingly, students must report confirmed or potential exposure to their Clinical Coordinator and employees must report confirmed or potential exposure to their direct supervisor to review the situation and to coordinate return to College premises.
Planning for Missed Work
Students
Students taking classes with on-campus components should work with their faculty either to stay current with their coursework during any period of quarantine, or to make up any missed coursework as soon as possible after being cleared to return. Unwell, self-isolated students taking on-line classes should work with their faculty to make up any missed coursework as soon as possible. Faculty shall make reasonable efforts to work with these students to maximize their educational outcomes. In cases of extended absence due to medical hardship, a withdrawal or an incomplete may be appropriate, depending on the circumstances; a petition for a drop with refund may also be favorably considered upon submission of appropriate paperwork and documentation.
Students completing experiential components off campus (including clinicals, internships, student-teaching, etc.) should work with their faculty and site supervisor to make up missed hours after being cleared to return.
Employees
Employees should work with their supervisor to see if a Temporary Alternate Work Assignment (TAWA) is possible, to take appropriate leave or to make other arrangements with the assistance and guidance of Human Resources.
Consequences for Noncompliance
A student, employee, contractor, TempForce employee, or visitor’s failure to report their status, stay away from college premises when required, or otherwise comply with this protocol or college directives is subject to disciplinary action or other appropriate adverse response by the College.