Current Covid Protocols – Risk, Compliance & Procurement

EWU has resumed full operations. Current Covid-19 safety protocols are outlined below.

Stay Home if You are Sick

All EWU employees and students who are experiencing symptoms associated with COVID, such as the symptoms identified below, should stay home and get tested for COVID.

Scratchy or sore throat
Runny nose or congestion
Difficulty breathing
New loss of taste or smell
Fever
Chills or repeated shaking with chills
Fatigue
Muscle or body aches
Headache

Testing

EWU encourages all campus community members to get tested for COVID whenever they are experiencing symptoms or have been potentially exposed. Information about free testing resources is available on EWU's COVID testing website.

Responding to Positive COVID-19 Cases

If you are aware of someone on campus who has COVID-19 symptoms, is being tested for COVID-19, or has a confirmed case of COVID-19, you must immediately report this information to EWU using our online form at: ewu.edu/reportcovid. Depending on the circumstances, Counseling & Wellness Services, Risk Management, or Human Resources will coordinate contact tracing and provide information to EWU students and employees who have been in close contact with a person on campus who has a confirmed case of COVID-19.

Contact Tracing

When EWU gets notice of a student or employee experiencing symptoms of COVID, has been in close contact with someone who has COVID, or is a positive case of COVID, we will reach out to the student or employee. EWU follows the isolation and quarantine guidance of the CDC, Department of Health, and any additional requirements from the Spokane Regional Health Department. EWU is following the latest guidance from the CDC.

For students and employees experiencing COVID symptoms:

Students and employees who are experiencing COVID symptoms should stay home and get tested for COVID. Testing is the only way to distinguish whether or not certain symptoms, such as a runny nose or a scratchy throat, are the result of COVID.

Information about how to obtain a free COVID test is available on EWU's COVID testing website.

EWU does not begin its contact tracing and notification process until there is a positive COVID test result or a diagnosis of COVID from a medical provider.

For students and employees who are a close contacts of a positive case:

A close contact is someone who was within six feet of an individual for 15 minutes or more during the individual's COVID infectious period.

The CDC updated its quarantine guidance on August 11, 2022. Under the newest guidance, all close contacts must wear a mask from 10 days from the date of exposure any time they are around others inside their home or indoors in public. The individual should then get tested for COVID on the 6th day from the date of exposure. If at any time the person develops symptoms associated with COVID, they should isolate immediately and get tested for COVID. The CDC's guidance for quarantining depends on the close contact's vaccination status and the date of vaccination.

EWU's contact tracing team will send an email to employee close contacts to notify them of the possible exposure.

For students or employees who have tested positive for COVID or received a diagnosis of COVID by a medical provider:

EWU's contact tracing team will contact the individual. Students and employees will be directed to isolate. The period of isolation depends on whether or not the individual is experiencing symptoms.

If an individual tests positive for COVID and is experiencing symptoms, the individual must isolate for 5 days from the day the symptoms started. They may return to campus after the 5th day if their symptoms are improving and they have been fever free for at least 24 hours without the use of any fever-reducing medications. After the initial period, the person must wear a mask at all times when around others for an additional 5 days.
If an individual tests positive for COVID and is not experiencing any symptoms, the individual must isolate for 5 days from the date of the positive test and wear a mask at all times when around others for an additional 5 days after that, unless symptoms develop. If the person begins to experience symptoms, they should continue to isolate until the symptoms have improved and they have been fever free for at least 24 hours without the use of any fever-reducing medications.

In addition to providing directions about isolation, EWU's contact tracing team will identify the locations on campus where the individual was during their infectious period. For positive employee cases, EWU will also post the locations where the employee was on campus during their infectious period on the COVID statistics website.

EWU will contact campus community members identified as close contacts to the extent feasible and provide them with directions. EWU encourages people to sign up for WA Notify, a smartphone app offered through the Department of Health that lets you know when you've potentially been exposed to COVID.

Vaccination

All employees and students must submit proof that they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or have an approved medical or religious waiver. To be fully vaccinated, employees and students must submit proof of having received:

2 doses of Pfizer BioNTech or Moderna
1 dose of Johnson & Johnson
For people outside of the United States, other vaccinations will be accepted if they are listed by the World Health Organization

Students who do not submit their immunization records or obtain a waiver will be assessed a $250 fine each term by the University, unless the student is only taking courses formally designated by EWU as being online only. More information about EWU's vaccine requirements is contained in EWU Policy 602-02 (Immunizations).

Covid-19 vaccination records can be uploaded into Med + Proctor at the following link: https://in.ewu.edu/bewell/wp-content/uploads/sites/97/2021/05/MED-PROCTOR-COVID-Vaccine.pdf. If you need additional assistance uploading your records, please contact Counseling & Wellness Services at 509-359-2366.
Religious waiver requests may be obtained online at https://inside.ewu.edu/equalopportunity/office-of-equal-opportunity/religious-accommodation/.
Medical waiver requests may be obtained online at https://in.ewu.edu/hr/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2021/08/Vaccine-Medical-Waiver-8.24.21-fillable.pdf. Completed medical waiver requests and accompanying medical certification must be submitted to Human Resources at clincoln@ewu.edu or 314 Showalter Hall for review and approval.

Details on Vaccination Requirements and Procedures

Masks

Effective March 12, 2022, masks are optional in most indoor and outdoor settings on campus. Details of EWU's mask requirements are here.

Physical / Social Distancing

There is no requirement for physical / social distancing. EWU encourages everyone who is not fully vaccinated to maintain 6' distance between others when possible.

Forms/Documents

EWU_COVID_Test_Form_Jan_2022

Q & A

Can I ask students to provide verification of quarantine or isolation?

Per the CDC's August 2022 updates, students who are close contacts are no longer required to quarantine. They can attend class as long as they wear a mask at all times.

For students who report to a faculty member that they have tested positive for COVID-19, they are still required to isolate for 5 days from the date of exposure. Students who report a positive COVID case to EWU's Contact Tracing Team will receive an email from Counseling & Wellness with the isolation directions.

If you are a student and are asked to confirm your quarantine or isolation status and need documentation, please reach out to EWU Counseling and Wellness Services.

What if I am high risk and need an accommodation?

Where do I report that an EWU community member has COVID-19 or has been exposed to the virus?

If you become aware of an EWU campus community member who has COVID-19 symptoms, is being tested for COVID-19, or has a confirmed case of COVID-19, you must immediately report this information by submitting a report at: ewu.edu/reportcovid. EWU has a team of people who watch this report 7-days a week. The team quickly coordinates sanitizing the appropriate areas, isolating the individual who is sick, and starting the contact tracing process as needed.

Will I receive notification if a coworker, student or other person, who has been in the vicinity of my work area, has COVID-19 symptoms, is being tested for COVID-19, or has a confirmed case of COVID-19?

What should I do in regards to cleaning/disinfecting of commonly touched surface, equipment and the like?

What rules apply to EWU locations in Spokane?

How do HIPAA and FERPA laws apply to EWU's Requirements?

HIPAA and Employees: Health information that is collected by an employer for employment purposes is not subject to HIPAA. More information is available from the Health and Human Services website: HIPAA, COVID-19 Vaccination, and the Workplace. Related information is also available in EWU Policy 401-05, Protected Health Information.

HIPAA, FERPA, and Students: Student health information, including vaccination records, that are maintained by EWU are not subject to HIPAA because they are considered to be education records that are covered under FERPA. Additional information may be found in this Department of Education guidance:

https://studentprivacy.ed.gov/sites/default/files/resource_document/file/alhippaa.pdf

What is EWU's perspective on possible discrimination related to vaccination status?

Additional Questions or Concerns?

Students: please contact Counseling & Wellness Services at 509-359-2366 or cws@ewu.edu

Faculty & Staff: please contact Risk Management at riskmanager@ewu.edu

Questions or concerns about EWU's COVID protocols may also be submitted online at: https://inside.ewu.edu/rcp/risk-management/covid19_concerns/.