UPDATE – BELMONT COLLEGE COVID-19 INTERIM GUIDELINES & PROCEDURES

DATE July 24, 2020

Starting August 24, 2020 members of the Belmont College community will return to campus for the fall semester. To do so safely, the following COVID-19 temporary guidelines & procedures have been implemented:

Access to Campus and Daily Screening

Students, faculty and staff who have symptoms of respiratory illness should stay home and not come to campus until they are free of fever (100.4 F or 37.8 C or greater using an oral thermometer), signs of fever, or any other related symptoms for at least 72 hours, without the use of fever-reducing or other symptom-altering medicines (ex. Tylenol, Advil, Motrin, aspirin, cold medicines, etc.). We ask everyone to take their temperatures prior to leaving home each day.

Students, faculty and staff who have had known exposure to someone with a confirmed case of COVID-19 are required by the College to notify their physician. If directed by the physician to self-quarantine for 14 days before returning to campus, a certification from the physician will be required. This must be reported to Judi McMullen at jmcmullen@belmontcollege.edu.

Please Note: Anyone that misses a class or work, must also follow normal procedures for “calling off” to their supervisor or faculty member. Contacting Judi McMullen does not exempt you from following normal absence procedures.

Additionally, as of July 22, 2020 Governor DeWine has issued a statewide travel advisory for all individuals coming into Ohio from states reporting positive COVID-19 testing rates of 15 percent or higher. Those traveling from one of the following states should self-quarantine for 14 days at home:

Alabama
Arizona
Florida
Georgia
Idaho
Mississippi
Nevada
South Carolina
Texas

Face coverings that cover the nose and mouth, physical distancing, hand-washing, and good personal hygiene are all critical in helping to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Social Distancing:

Students, faculty, and staff are required to follow all CDC recommendations in regard to Social Distancing by:

Maintaining 6-feet distance between individuals, when at all possible.
Students, faculty, and staff are required to follow all directional signs and instructions, including specific traffic flow and social distancing indicators.

Face Coverings:

Until further notice, face coverings that cover the nose and mouth must be worn at all times when in College buildings, hallways, classrooms, common areas of the College or outdoor common areas where social distancing is not possible.
Face coverings may be removed only when eating or seeking to communicate with the hearing impaired for which the mouth needs to be visible.
Persons with health conditions that prohibit wearing a face covering may submit certified documentation to Judi McMullen at jmcmullen@belmontcollege.edu.
Employees working alone in their individual enclosed offices, with the door closed, do not need to wear face covering.

A cloth face covering should:

Cover both the nose and mouth
Fit snugly but comfortably against the side of the face
Be secured with ties or ear loops
Allow breathing without restriction
Be able to be laundered and machine dried without damage or change to shape

Exhibiting Symptoms

Students, faculty and staff who experience fever, cough, or difficulty breathing should

call their physician’s office for advice and inform them about any recent travel or symptoms.

Symptoms of COVID-19 include:

Fever over 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit
Cough
Difficulty breathing
Loss of taste or smell
Fatigue
Muscle or body aches
Headache
Congestion or runny nose
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Sore Throat

Look for emergency warning signs of COVID-19 and if someone is showing any of these signs, seek emergency medical care immediately by calling 911:

Trouble breathing
Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
New confusion or combativeness
Inability to wake or stay awake
Bluish lips or face

Faculty, staff, and students must self-quarantine if their healthcare provider suspects or tests for COVID-19, until results are confirmed. The period of self-quarantine (not showing signs, but have been exposed to a confirmed case) or isolation (when showing active signs of the virus) should be determined by the treating healthcare provider in consultation with the Belmont County Health Department or local health department where they live and Judi McMullen must be notified at jmcmullen@belmontcollege.edu. Absence due to a physician’s orders to quarantine or isolate, must be certified by the ordering physician.

Testing should be completed within 24 hours of becoming symptomatic.

Faculty, staff and students who are required to self-isolate should follow the directions of their healthcare provider and the CDC’s self-isolation recommendations.

Facilities Sanitation

Regular hand washing is required by all individuals on campus.
Hand sanitizer will be located in each classroom, bathrooms, and common areas.
When departing from a room, everyone is responsible for wiping down the area where they were sitting (including table/desk top, keyboard, door knobs, etc.
Belmont College Facilities department will be sanitizing throughout the buildings on a daily basis.
Shared tools and equipment are to be sanitized after each use (or in between classes).

All guidelines apply to faculty, staff, students, contractors, and visitors on College property.