Health & Wellness Guidelines
Spring 2021
Page 2: Introduction
Health Guidelines for Spring 2021
Dear Seminary community, First and foremost, we are extremely grateful for the many ways you continue to uphold the Health and Wellness Guidelines in our community. We are entering a hopeful time as the weather warms, numbers of coronavirus cases continue to decline, and vaccinations become more readily available. This is all very encouraging news as we mark one year since the pandemic impacted our community. As a result of these encouraging markers, public health guidelines from the CDC and state of New Jersey continue to be updated. We update our Guidelines with the understanding that this is a hopeful time, but also a vulnerable time.
Daily new COVID-19 cases in Mercer County From the New York Times’ interactive tracker
Though members of our community are getting vaccines, at this time only a small percentage of our community is fully vaccinated. Also, the fact remains that the State of New Jersey continues to have a high number of COVID cases. As of March 14, infections rates in Mercer County leveled off at about 23 per 100,000. This is higher than the target rate of 10 per 100,000. Our local health officers confirm that variants of the coronavirus have been identified in our area as well. For these reasons, as our community continues to receive vaccines over the next two months, we recommend that we still live within fairly restrictive guidelines. As scientists and epidemiologists remind us, we are very close to a more normal summer season if we can continue to hold on to our health protocols this spring. Also, please know that we are actively creating a re-opening plan for our community. We look forward to a much more normal season ahead. Yours in Christ, Rev. Jan Ammon and Rev. Dr. Anne Stewart Health & Wellness Team Coordinators
Page 3: Prevention
Health Guidelines for Spring 2021
Preventing COVID-19 Please continue to wear a face covering when outside on the seminary campus. This includes CRW, Witherspoon, and Roberts/Tennent. Face coverings are required for those ages 3 and above. This is one of the most effective preventative measures we have available. Please stay at home if you have any symptoms that may be associated with COVID-19: fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle aches, headache, sore throat, congestion, loss of taste or smell, or gastrointestinal distress. Please seek medical advice and notify the Health and Wellness Team via the confidential COVID-19 notification form.
Please maintain 6 feet distance from those not in your household.
Regularly wash your hands, especially before and after touching common surfaces.
We strongly encourage all students, eligible family members, and employees to register with the New Jersey State Department of Health to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The percentage of our community that is vaccinated with help determine when we are able to open facilities such as the library, gyms, and other study spaces. Individuals living in New Jersey or Pennsylvania can pre-register through each state’s online portal.
For those in our student housing, if you are away from our residential community for more than 24 hours, you are still required to keep a travel quarantine for 10 days. We verified with our health officer that this includes individuals who have been fully vaccinated. If you have plans to travel, please complete the Travel Notification Form and review the parameters for a Travel Quarantine and your responsibilities of keeping a travel quarantine when you have a roommate.
For employees, if you travel away from your home for more than a 24 hour time period, we ask that you submit a Travel Notification Form and please do not return to campus until cleared by the Health Team to do so.
Page 4: Prevention, Community Guidelines
Health Guidelines for Spring 2021
Guidelines for fully vaccinated individuals You are considered fully vaccinated for COVID-19 two weeks after you have received the second dose of a 2-dose series (Pfizer or Moderna), or two weeks after receiving the single-dose vaccine (Johnson and Johnson.) If you are fully vaccinated, please submit your vaccination record online. Fully vaccinated people: Please continue to wear a face covering and keep physical distancing when outside of your residence.
When a fully vaccinated person is with unvaccinated individuals, or members of your household who are unvaccinated and at risk for COVID-19, please keep all health protocols in place.
Indoor visits with other fully vaccinated people are likely low risk so you do not need to wear a face covering or keep physically distance from one another.
If a fully vaccinated person develops COVID-like symptoms, they should quarantine and consult their health care provider regarding testing.
At this time, fully vaccinated people will need to maintain a travel quarantine if they travel from the area.
Safely building community Outdoor Gatherings with Community Members As the weather improves, we encourage connecting with your friends and neighbors outside. We are increasing the outdoor number for social gatherings to 20 if the group can wear face coverings and maintain social distancing. If you are sitting outside, at a distance of 6 feet or more, you may remove your face coverings. At the end of March, tents will be placed at CRW and Robert/Tennent. Tents can be reserved by contacting the Dean of Student Life Office. Indoor Gatherings with Community Members If you meet inside a residence with others who are not in your household, please maintain physical distancing and wear a face covering. Please note Seminary apartments can safely accommodate three guests. (Please see section for fully vaccinated individuals.)
Indoor Gathering in the Chapel We have approved up to 25 to gather inside of the Chapel providing face covering and physical distancing are maintained. Singing continues to be limited to one cantor for the service. Further information is forthcoming. Outside Visitors We are going to continue to ask that there be no outside visitors for the remainder of the academic year. Even fully vaccinated individuals can carry the virus and we have too many unvaccinated individuals in our dense residential community who are at risk, many of them are our children. Common Spaces Small common spaces such as lounges at CRW and gyms will remain closed at this time.
Page 5: Community Guidelines
Health Guidelines for Spring 2021
Mental health and spiritual wellness We remain concerned about your spiritual and mental wellbeing as we finish this academic year online. It has been an isolating and demanding season. For students, you are welcome to contact: Office of Student Counseling
Chapel Office
Rev. Wanda Sevey
Rev. Jan Ammon
Director of Student Counseling
Minister of the Chapel
counseling@ptsem.edu
chapel.office@ptsem.edu
Employees have a number of resources that have been made available through the Office of Human Resources.
Playgrounds at CRW and Robert/Tennent •
•
For any child using the playground, parental presence and supervision on the playground is required to help keep health and wellness protocols. Please use hand sanitizer prior to and after equipment use.
•
Please maintain a distance of at least 6 feet between each child or family unit.
•
CDC recommends cloth face coverings in public settings when around other people who do not live in your household, especially when physical distancing is difficult to maintain. Masks for adults and children above 3 years of age are required when others are on the playground.
•
Thank you for being mindful if other children are waiting to play.
•
The playground is for Seminary families only. We are sorry we cannot welcome outside visitors at this time.
•
Please do not come to the playground if you or your child are not feeling well or if you have been exposed to someone who possibly has COVID-19.
•
Playgrounds will be closed each day for cleaning between 8:30 – 9:00 am and 1:00-1:30 pm.
Living safely with a pre-existing health condition If you, a student, or family member has a health condition that puts you at increased risk, we invite you to keep in communication with the Health and Wellness Team for confidential support. If an employee has a health condition that puts you at increased risk, we invite you to keep in communication with your supervisor or director of human resources.
Page 6: Community Guidelines
Health Guidelines for Spring 2021
Transportation If you are sharing a vehicle with someone outside of your immediate family, we recommend only two individuals per vehicle. Please wear a face covering. It is best for the passenger to sit in the back passenger seas for distancing. Office environments •
In all offices, physical distancing of 6 feet or more is currently required.
•
Only one person at a time in a reception area please.
•
Face coverings are to be worn at all times unless you are alone in your office or office suite. Face coverings are required for all common spaces in offices.
•
If students need to meet with an office on campus, please email the office in advance to make an appointment.
Key community contacts For questions or concerns about living
For questions about workplace guidelines,
in community together, students should
employees should contact their supervisor or the
contact:
Office of Human Resources:
Office of Student Life
Office of Human Resources
Dean John White
Mr. Charles Carrier
Dean of Student Life
Director of Human Resources
deanofstudentlife@ptsem.edu
hr.office@ptsem.edu
Important forms Confidential COVID-19 notification form Health and wellness concern form
Travel notification form
Vaccination notification form
Page 7: Compliance
Health Guidelines for Spring 2021
Compliance with health guidelines Responding to COVID-19 diagnoses We are most grateful that our community has remained quite well this past year. We attribute this to your ongoing diligence to our health and wellness guidelines as well as your connecting with the Health Team if you have been exposed or have received a positive test for COVID-19. Early notification allows us to do contact tracing quickly and thoroughly. As guided by our local health officer, you are considered a close contact if you are with a person who is positive for 10 minutes or more at 6 feet or less, with mask or no mask. If you have been exposed to COVID-19, have tested positive, or have symptoms compatible with COVID-19, please complete the Health Notification Form.
How to address health and wellness concerns
Consequences for noncompliance
We hope that these Health and Wellness Guidelines will enable us all to navigate this complex season. However, if you encounter a situation that raises any concerns for your health and wellness or the health and wellness of others, we ask that you please consider the following:
Please know there will be consequences for disregard of these guidelines which could put many at serious risk. If there is regular or serious disregard:
•
Please approach situations with kindness and grace. These are such tough times.
•
If you have a concern, please address a person directly if you feel safe doing so. It is always best to approach a conversation speaking out of the “I.” For example, “I would feel more comfortable if you would please cover your nose with your mask. Thank you.” If you do not feel comfortable approaching a person or the person has regularly been out of compliance with the Health and Wellness Guidelines, you may complete and submit the health and wellness concern form. The form will go to Yedea Walker in the Student Life Office for follow up.
•
•
For employees, if you do not feel comfortable approaching a person, please reach out to your supervisor or the Office of Human Resources.
•
Please do not call Security for concerns about the Health Guidelines.
•
Students will be referred to the Residential Life Task Force, which is chaired by the Dean of Student Life.
•
Employees will be referred to the Director of Human Resources.
Serious or regular disregard may result in students being asked to relocate from their seminary residence or employees being placed on leave.