Isolation housing

We are faced with a dynamic situation and the equation changes nearly every day. We will continue to remain vigilant, carefully reviewing all options and making informed decisions based upon the evolving circumstances.

Aug. 24: How was the $150 million shortfall number agreed upon, and what sums make up the $150 million? What is the direct link between moving online and the $150 million shortfall?

Answer provided Aug. 27: Each year, the university makes appropriate adjustments to its budget accounting for the level of state appropriations, which has changed dramatically over the years. State appropriations fund approximately 10% of the Norman campus operating budget today, in contrast to 1982 when they accounted for 42%. Since the pandemic, the  nancial toll on OU has been sizable.

Like all universities, OU has seen losses since the beginning of the pandemic including conference and event cancellations, health care costs, increased IT expenses, loss of patient revenues, and increased cleaning costs. In early August, the university considered the  nancial impact to the Norman campus should classes be moved fully online prior to the start of the semester. At that point in time, the projections showed the university would su er losses well in excess of $150 million.  e factors related to the projected shortfall include, but are not limited to, not having a full football season, a possible 20% decrease in enrollment and a lack of housing, meal plans and parking revenues.

_____________________________________________

Isolation Housing:

July 24: Could you outline what isolation housing for students will look like? Where will students in this form of housing be required to live? What will the monitoring of these students look like?

If an OU Housing resident tests positive during the semester, they will be provided an individual room to self-isolate. OU Health Services will work with students for recovery; OU Food Services will provide delivered meals; and OU Residence Life will check in with these students daily and will connect them with resources and services as needed. Rooms are designed for students to have one bedroom and one bathroom per person.

July 24: If students living o -campus test positive, what will their isolation process look like? How will they be monitored?

Students who live o campus will be instructed to self-isolate in their o -campus residence. Positive cases are monitored by the health department.

in? What do administrators plan to do for students that permanently live in Traditions, as students with active COVID-19 cases will be housed there?

On-campus students who need to self-isolate will be provided a space in Traditions. Each of these locations have their own entry, HVAC and will be placed in temporary apartments. Assistance will be provided from OU sta . OU Health Services will work with students for recovery; OU Food Services will provide delivered meals; and OU Residence Life will check in with these students daily and will connect them with resources and services as needed. Rooms are designed for students to have one bedroom and one bathroom per person. Students assigned to these spaces will not be paired with existing residents.

July 27: Which Traditions will be isolation housing for students who get sick? (East or West?)

Isolation housing includes individualized spaces in Traditions East and West.

July 27: Where is isolation housing for international students? Is that Traditions as well?

Students living in university-owned oncampus housing will use isolation housing in Traditions. Students arriving from outside the U.S. who anticipate living in OU Housing will have to self-isolate at an o -campus site to complete the three-step process to gain move-in clearance.

July 27: What is being done to ensure students don’t get sick from sharing an HVAC system with known positive COVID-19 carriers?

On-campus positive students will self-isolate in Traditions. Each apartment in Traditions has an individual HVAC unit to serve only that space.

July 27: If a student’s roommate tests positive, will they have to quarantine along with their roommate?

Answer provided July 29: Students living in on-campus housing, who test positive, will move to individualized isolation housing units located at Traditions East or West. On-campus housing students who need to self-isolate based on contact tracing e orts will do so in individualized isolation housing units located at Traditions East or West.

Aug. 23: When [students who test positive for COVID-19] are moved to OU’s isolation housing, are they given a time period to gather their things and get to their isolation housing independently, or are they escorted by university/health care personnel to their new room?

Answer provided Aug. 25: Once university o cials are noti ed of a COVID-19 positive student in OU Housing, the student gathers needed items and reports to isolation housing using their own transportation. If they do not have personal transportation, the university provides it. Once a student arrives to temporary isolation housing, their access to their permanent assigned space is deactivated for 14 days. For additional information, please visit www.ou.edu/ housingandfood/covid-19/resident_care_plan.

 e student can place a work order request to have their room cleaned. After the room has been vacated for 24 hours, Facilities Management will fully disinfect the room using a combination of electrostatic and hand-held sprayers with hospitalgrade disinfectant.

Aug. 27: Will the university be releasing the number of students in isolation housing?

 e university plans on launching a COVID-19 dashboard in the coming days.  e plan is to update the dashboard daily, covering a range of aggregate data, including Cleveland County and regional area statistics, as well as Goddard Health results of COVID-19 positive cases. At this time, isolation housing numbers will not be tracked as the number of students in isolation varies and isn’t fully re ective of all students in isolation, as many are expected to choose to isolate o -campus.

Aug. 27: If the university has to use hotels to house isolated/quarantined students, will guests at the hotel be noti ed it is being used for COVID quarantine?

 is is dependent on the hotel policy.

Aug. 27: Will the university pay for hotel rooms for COVID-positive students? If so, how much money has the university set aside for additional isolation housing at hotels?

Yes, the university will cover expenses associated with the use of any hotel to support individuals who need to be isolated after exposure to someone with COVID-19 or quarantined after testing positive for the disease. Funding will be based on contract details, which have yet to be  nalized.

Aug. 27: Who from OU Health Services is doing the health checks of students in isolation housing? How many times a day do they visit? How long are these visits, and what is done on these visits?

Students who have tested positive and are in isolation in OU Housing are checked on daily by housing sta . Health Services personnel check for signs and symptoms of those who are being contact traced in housing. Students who have tested positive and who are in isolation in OU Housing are checked on daily and connected to resources and services as needed. OU Health Services works with students for recovery; OU Food Services provides delivered meals; and OU Residence Life checks in with these students daily for any other needs.  e duration of each visit varies.

Aug. 27: Who is paying for these health checks? Do students need to use their own health insurance?

 ere is no charge or insurance required for health checks.

Aug. 27: How does the university decide if a COVID-positive resident should be hospitalized or go into isolation housing?

Aug. 27: What hotel will students that test positive be housed in? How many rooms in Traditions will be reserved for students that test positive?

OU currently has the capacity to provide isolation and quarantine housing for approximately 300 individuals with the ability to further increase capacity with outside contracted housing. Individuals who need to be isolated after exposure to someone with COVID-19 or quarantined after testing positive will be housed in isolation at an OU Housing location, or a location away from campus. Contracts have yet to be  nalized for a possible hotel isolation location.

A student must place a work order to request to have their room cleaned. Once a student arrives to temporary isolation housing, their access to their permanent assigned space is deactivated for 14 days. According to CDC guideline, if more than 7 days since the person who is sick visited or used the facility, additional cleaning and disinfection is not necessary.

Aug. 28: What does it mean for OU Health Services to “work with students for recovery?” Does this mean they visit the students for health checks? Use telemedicine?

Goddard sta works with students who are in need of medical assistance using best practices based on each individual situation, whether in

COVID-19 related expenses, f iscal years 2020-2021 University of Oklahoma - Norman Campus

Sept. 3: Was reaching out to follow up on a tip submitted to us/see if anyone could clarify its accuracy — we’ve heard the traditions self-isolation rooms are all full, or are nearly close to full. Was hoping you could provide an update as far as how many occupants are in the Traditions quarantine/self-isolation housing of the 300 available, and if OU had yet  nalized its contracts with o -campus partners to put students in hotel rooms if needed as mentioned last week, I believe?

OU Housing has established protocols to ensure residents are appropriately isolated if they test positive for COVID-19.  e CDC de nes isolation as the separation of sick people with a contagious disease from people who are not sick.  e CDC’s de nition for quarantine is the separation and restriction of movement of people who were exposed to a contagious disease. Once OU Housing is noti ed of a positive test, sta immediately begin preparing an isolation space at Traditions Square Apartments for the student.

As the need for student isolation space has increased, OU Housing has reevaluated how it can best utilize designated isolation apartments. Isolation spaces allow for each student to have a private bedroom and bathroom. Apartments with more than one bathroom could have two COVID-19 positive individuals occupying it at the same time. At this time, isolation spaces are still open at Traditions Square Apartments.

Sept. 3: Was just reaching out because [ e Daily Editor-in-chief Jordan Miller] let me know we’re aiming to publish a piece tonight on OU’s policy change which allows quarantined (exposed to COVID but not positive) students to leave their quarantine spaces for certain errands.

 e CDC de nes isolation as the separation of sick people with a contagious disease from people who are not sick.  e CDC’s de nition for quarantine is the separation and restriction of movement of people who were exposed to a contagious disease.  e university restricts movement of asymptomatic quarantined oncampus students, unless it is for an essential need, such as food, medical care or medicine and other essential activities. No prolonged outings are permitted.

Sept. 3: I had one follow up to this response when you have the time — it notes no prolonged outings are permitted, but [OU food service administrator] Stacy Lemmert’s email suggested quarantined students were allowed to grocery shop as needed. Is there any method through which OU is tracking quarantined students’ comings and goings/how long they have been gone?

*Context: Stacy Lemmert sent an email Aug. 28 instructing quarantined students to leave isolation housing to get groceries and supplies.

Grocery shopping refers to essential item pickup, which students are encouraged to use curbside pick-up. OU does not track its students or monitor their movements.  e university urges everyone to do their part in keeping OU Together.