COVID-19 Policies, Topics & FAQs
Campus Services & Operations
Slow and steady return of essential in-person activity continues on campus, but remains limited at this time. Our hybrid model remains in effect, and many units continue to operate remotely. Units planning for return are charged with overseeing a safe return to campus schedule that is appropriate to their operations and function. See your supervisor/unit head with questions.
Numerous parking options help you choose what works best for your schedule, including a new part-time rate and daily visitor parking in addition to monthly, reserved and student parking. Find details on
the parking website.
Yes, the Anschutz Health and Wellness Center is open, and you can read about current rules and protocols
on their website.
The campus is continuing to closely follow state and local public health guidance, as well as monitoring our campus health through the self-reporting and contact tracing process. This information helps inform our operational decisions as a campus, and we are prepared to pivot from our current model if/when needed.
While on campus, contractors and vendors must follow the same
return to campus protocols set forth for our faculty, students, staff and community.
COVID-19 Symptoms & Safety
People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:
- 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
- Diarrhea
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) believes at this time that symptoms of COVID-19 may appear in as few as 2 days or as long as 14 after exposure.
While all of the details of COVID-19 are not known, CDC reports that transmission appears to be similar to other acute respiratory viruses such as other coronaviruses, seasonal influenza or the common cold.
If you are symptomatic, do the following:
- Let your supervisor or professor know, submit a CU Anschutz self-report form, and stay home. You may register for testing, as detailed here,
and you will be contacted with further instruction and support.
- CDPHE recommends that you self-isolate if you have a positive COVID-19 test, have symptoms of COVID-19 or think you might have COVID-19. Unless you are tested and confirmed
to be negative for COVID-19, you should assume that what you have is COVID-19, and self-isolate until:
- You have had no fever for at least 24 hours (that is 1 full day of no fever without the use of fever-reducing medication like Tylenol and/or Ibuprofen) AND
- Other symptoms have improved (for example, when your cough or shortness of breath have improved) AND
- At least 10 days have passed since your symptoms first appeared
COVID-19 Testing & Contact Tracing
CU Anschutz employees and students, as well as household members including minors age 2+, may schedule testing through COVIDCheck Colorado using the button below. Both asymptomatic and symptomatic testing are available.
If you develop COVID-19-like symptoms, get tested as soon as possible.
If you receive a confirmed test, you must immediately self-isolate. A public health or medical professional will be in touch to review the timelines for when you may be released from self-isolation.
Please let your supervisor or professor know, and self-report your status. This is especially important in enabling us to monitor the impact of COVID-19 within the community and beyond and to provide support.
If you are identified as a close contact of a positive or presumptive positive case related to campus contact, you will be contacted directly by the CU Anschutz Contact Tracing Team to be advised of next steps, which could involve testing.
Expanded testing helps to identify asymptomatic cases so they can quickly be isolated and quarantined. These tests are optional and not currently required for those approved for on-campus activity to return to campus.
Please see this graphic to determine when to return to work after illness.
Please check the
return to campus page for the latest information and guidance for events, gatherings & activities on campus.
Continue to use
remote meetings where appropriate. While on campus: follow room occupancy, as well as mask and distancing requirements if unvaccinated. See the
return to campus page for more information.
All room requests through spring 2021 are centrally managed, with priority given to in-person student and trainee learning activities that cannot be conducted remotely. Meeting spaces and classrooms not accounted for in approved return to campus plans should be a rare exception.
Those seeking an exception for room reservations must
submit this application form. You must receive official approval before EMS reservations will be confirmed. Those approved may receive a reservation for a room different from the specific space requested.
Building and room COVID occupancy information is available here, as well as in the EMS system. COVID occupancy information is also posted in buildings and rooms on campus.
If you are symptomatic, do the following:
- Let your supervisor or professor know, submit a CU Anschutz self-report form, and stay home. You may register for testing, as detailed here,
and you will be contacted with further instruction and support.
- CDPHE recommends that you self-isolate if you have a positive COVID-19 test, have symptoms of COVID-19 or think you might have COVID-19. Unless you are tested and confirmed
to be negative for COVID-19, you should assume that what you have is COVID-19, and self-isolate until:
- You have had no fever for at least 24 hours (that is 1 full day of no fever without the use of fever-reducing medication like Tylenol and/or Ibuprofen) AND
- Other symptoms have improved (for example, when your cough or shortness of breath have improved) AND
- At least 10 days have passed since your symptoms first appeared
You can find mental health resources and information in the following locations:
Students, faculty and staff who believe they have been exposed to COVID-19 or have tested positive are to
report that status. CU Anschutz will work with public health authorities if there is danger of significant exposure to individuals who were in direct contact in the workplace with anyone who has reported a positive COVID-19 test result. CU Anschutz is prohibited by law from sharing the content of any reports, including the name of the individual who made the report.
Find an overview on PPE ordering, shipping and procurement
here.
Contact your supervisor/unit head, and your unit’s HR business partner, with concerns about returning to campus.
You may also visit our workplace adjustment webpage to learn about our process for responding to concerns and access our form for requests related to current work arrangements.
If you are high-risk or uncomfortable returning to work, please contact your supervisor/unit head, and your unit’s HR business partner.
You may also visit our workplace adjustment webpage to learn about our process for responding to concerns and access our form for requests related to current work arrangements.
Learn more about HR’s policy on paid administrative leave
here.
For those fully vaccinated, masks are recommended but optional, both indoors and outside. Exceptions to this policy: masks are required in clinical environments, and in conference rooms and classrooms when attendance exceeds the approved COVID-posted capacity, regardless of vaccination status.
Masks are mandatory for unvaccinated individuals at all times except when outdoors and 6 feet or more from others, or when working alone indoors in a fully enclosed space.
Anyone may choose to continue wearing a mask, even once vaccinated, and units may choose to implement more conservative mask policies if desired.
No, masks are not provided by the campus. Please bring your own with you to campus. PPE is provided in some clinical settings and laboratories on campus.
Read more about mask requirements on campus on the return to campus webpage.
See
CDC guidance on masks.
Find an overview on PPE ordering, shipping and procurement
here.
Return to Campus Protocols & Safety
The daily health questionnaire/attestation is no longer required for those fully vaccinated.
Unvaccinated individuals must continue to complete the
daily health questionnaire every day to be on campus. Access it through
this easy-access link daily prior to arrival on campus, or scan the QR code posted on building signage to access. Once you complete the daily questionnaire, you may make your way to your workspace.
An employee should always follow the policies and procedures of the facility or site they are reporting to on a given day. Please contact the affiliate whose facility you will be working in that day for clarification on their policies or procedures.
You will receive detailed instructions from your supervisor/unit head or COVID official detailing protocols for return and any unit-specific guidelines.
Ask your supervisor/unit head where to find centralized cleaning supplies in your area.
Details on janitorial services and protocols, as well as hand sanitizer stations and other available resources for cleaning on the
facilities management website.
State of Colorado Guidance
University-sponsored travel is allowed for those fully vaccinated, with appropriate approvals. For international travel, this includes formal approval of your planned destination. The process for requesting travel approval is currently being updated. Additional guidance will be distributed to campus and posted here when new travel approval processes is updated.
Travelers are required to follow CDC travel and safety precautions, and observe any protocols in place at your destination.
You are encouraged to follow CDC recommendations for returning from domestic travel. Carefully monitor your health status. If you were exposed to someone who is COVID-19 positive, or if you show COVID-19-like symptoms - even if you’ve been vaccinated - let your supervisor/unit head know and submit a self-report. You may register for free testing, and you will be contacted with further instruction and support.
The CDC cautions individuals not to travel internationally until fully vaccinated, and notes that international travel poses additional risks. If you do travel internationally, follow CDC recommendations for returning from international travel, get tested and avoid close contact with people who are at high risk for severe illness from COVID-19.
Yes, the University of Colorado has determined to require that all CU students, faculty and staff receive a COVID-19 vaccine before the start of fall semester 2021. Read more here.
At CU Anschutz, students must be fully vaccinated prior to beginning fall programs. Everyone on campus must be fully vaccinated by September 1, 2021. Read more here.
Students and employees may request medical or religious exemptions, and you can find details and downloadable exemption forms here. Students beginning courses this summer may work with their program to submit proof of vaccination or exemption.
All COVID-19 vaccines that have been approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) will be accepted. As of June 1, 2021, these are: Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson/Janssen, Oxford–AstraZeneca, Sinovac and Sinopharm-BBIBP.
CU Anschutz Environmental Health & Safety may accept verification of additional COVID-19 vaccines on a case-by-case basis, as they are approved by the WHO.
The university reserves the right to require that an individual receive a WHO-approved COVID-19 vaccine, even if that individual may have been previously vaccinated with a non-WHO-approved vaccine.
Yes, those who will be physically present on campus must be vaccinated against COVID-19 by September 1, 2021, including those who have been infected with COVID-19.
CU Anschutz will review submitted vaccination verifications on a case-by-case basis for those who have received a non-WHO-approved COVID-19 vaccine. As of June 1, 2021, these are: Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson/Janssen, Oxford–AstraZeneca, Sinovac and Sinopharm-BBIBP.
During the review process, students will be required to adhere to the following on-campus protocols: complete the daily health questionnaire before coming to campus, wear a mask at all times, maintain 6 feet or more of physical distance from others, self-report and stay home when sick, quarantine in accordance with up-to-date Centers for Disease Control guidance, and may be subject to frequent asymptomatic COVID-19 testing at their own cost and expense.
All faculty or staff who work on campus or have the possibility of having to work on campus are required to get vaccinated.
Students and employees may request medical or religious exemptions to the vaccination requirement. You can find details and downloadable exemption forms here.
Students should submit medical and/or religious exemption forms to their programs before beginning the fall 2021 semester. Employees will be able to submit medical exemption forms, and/or attest to religious exemptions, using the vaccine verification system currently under development.
We are developing a process now, and we will provide further details as soon as possible.
Students with in-person coursework this summer must be fully vaccinated before beginning on-campus activity. Your school, college or program will work with you to collect proof of vaccination or exemption.
Optional stickers are available in Hensel Phelps weekdays from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Full details here.
No, fully vaccinated students and employees no longer need to complete the daily health questionnaire, and can refer to the return to campus webpage for information on campus protocols.
Those who are unvaccinated must continue to complete the
health questionnaire every day to be on campus, as well as wear masks and observe physical distancing. Refer to the
Return to Campus webpage for more information.
Masks are recommended but optional, both indoors and outside, for those fully vaccinated. Exceptions to this policy: masks are required in clinical environments, and in conference rooms and classrooms when attendance exceeds the approved COVID-posted capacity, regardless of vaccination status.
Masks are mandatory for unvaccinated individuals at all times except when outdoors and 6 feet or more from others, or when working alone indoors in a fully enclosed space. An important exception to this mask policy is applicable in clinical environments, where masks continue to be required regardless of vaccination status. Anyone may choose to continue wearing a mask, even once vaccinated.
Physical distancing requirements have been eliminated, indoors and outdoors, for those fully vaccinated. Unvaccinated individuals must maintain 6 feet or more of distance between themselves and others at all times, inside and out.
Please note that individual work units may choose to implement more conservative mask and distancing policies if desired.
Yes, you must continue to self-report if you may have been exposed, test positive or develop COVID-19-like symptoms, even once vaccinated. Note that if you have been fully vaccinated AND it has been 14 days since you had the second dose, you may no longer need to quarantine if exposed to a known positive COVID-19 case. You will, however, need to do so if you become symptomatic after vaccination. The Contact Tracing team will follow up with appropriate guidance.
The suspension on university-sponsored domestic and international travel for those fully vaccinated has been lifted. Read more about university-related and personal
travel here.
Some Colorado community vaccination sites are allowing drive-up or walk-up vaccination.
Find more information on
Colorado’s vaccine website.
There is no cost to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, and you cannot be turned away based on current medical insurance coverage status.
More
information is available here.
COVID-19 vaccines have been shown to be safe and effective after large-scale clinical trials.
Learn more about safety, development and clinical trials
from the CDC, and find answers to your questions on
Colorado’s vaccine FAQ page.
No. The vaccines do not contain the live virus that causes COVID-19, so they cannot make you sick with COVID-19.
Get
the facts, and learn about
the benefits of getting vaccinated from the CDC.
Common side effects may include pain and swelling on the arm where you got the vaccine shot. They may also include fever, chills, tiredness and/or headache.
Learn more about
what to expect after your vaccination here.
Severe allergic reactions were not common during COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials. The CDC provides detailed information on allergic reaction concerns, as well as recommendations on safeguards to be put into place at vaccination provider sites including on-site monitoring of all vaccine recipients.
If you get a COVID-19 vaccine and think you may be having an allergic reaction after leaving the vaccination site, call 911 immediately.
The CDC notes that people are considered fully vaccinated 2 weeks after their second dose in a two-dose series (like the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines) and 2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine (like Johnson & Johnson's vaccine). It is important to keep taking all prevention steps until you are fully vaccinated.
It takes time for your body to build protection after you’ve received the vaccine, so it’s essential to continue to wear a mask, keep your distance and stay home when sick, even after you’ve been vaccinated. Learn more about
vaccination considerations here.
Do you have a question about how COVID-19 affects your studies or work at CU Anschutz?
