Institutes of Higher Education (IHE): COVID-19

• People are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the final dose of vaccine (second dose in a two-dose series or one dose in a one-dose series).
• Refer to About COVID-19 Vaccine for more information.
• If you got vaccinated outside of the country and are wondering if you need another vaccine or you need to get your second dose now, work with your COVID-19 coordinators on campus. More information on what to do can be found at CDC: Interim Clinical Considerations for Use of COVID-19 Vaccines Currently Approved or Authorized in the United States.

• Follow the mask policy on your campus and recommendations for wearing masks.

• Maintain at least 6 feet of physical distance from people in other households, as much as possible, especially if you or they are unvaccinated.
• In general, a close contact means being less than 6 feet from someone who has COVID-19 for 15 minutes or more throughout a 24-hour period. However, even shorter periods of time or longer distances can result in spread of the virus.
• Follow close contacts and tracing guidance and your campus policies for when to stay home (quarantine) when exposed to someone who has COVID-19. Some campuses have stricter policies and don't allow shortened quarantine.
• If you are a close contact, you might be notified directly by one or more of the following:
  • Person who has COVID-19 that you were in close contact with
  • COVID-19 contact at your school
  • Minnesota Department of Health

• Follow the recommendations if you are sick or test positive for COVID-19.
• If you are at work or school, notify your supervisor or appropriate staff and leave immediately.
• Refer to COVID-19 Decision Tree for People in Schools, Youth, and Child Care Programs (PDF) to help determine if you need to leave class, school, or work.

• Wash your hands often, with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
  • If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer that is at least 60% alcohol.

• Clean frequently touched objects or surfaces including phones, computers, remote controls, and doorknobs.
• Clean work area surfaces at least once a day, and more frequently if the workspace is shared.
• Good hand hygiene and not touching one's face with unwashed hands is also important to reduce any risk from frequently touched surfaces.
• Guidance for cleaning and disinfecting in higher education can also be found at CDC: Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Facility.

• Follow COVID-19 testing recommendations for when you travel, have COVID-19 symptoms, or are exposed to COVID-19.
• If you test positive:
  • Do not go to campus.
  • Notify the appropriate COVID-19 contact on campus.
  • Seek help from a health care provider, if necessary, and follow your health care provider's guidance.
  • Stay away or isolate from others as much as you can within your residence.
  • Do not have visitors unless they are caring for you.
  • Follow your campus' policy for what to do if you have COVID-19.
  • Be aware you may get called by someone from the Minnesota Department of Health or a local public health agency. It's important to answer the call. Refer to Case Investigation and Contact Tracing for more information on this process and how you may be contacted.

• Lay low before you go!
• Check out your campus-specific policy.
• Refer to Protect Yourself & Others: Traveling.

Follow your return-to-campus policy and the recommendations outlined below.

• If you've left campus for an extended period of time, limit who you see and where you go before heading back to campus.
• Wash your hands often.
• Once you return to campus, self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms for 14 days, even if you have been vaccinated. Any time you start to have COVID-19 symptoms, get tested right away; stay by yourself and away from others while waiting for results.
• You will need to get tested and maybe even lay low for a bit when you return. For further information around what to do when you get back from travel, refer to:
  • CDC: Domestic Travel During COVID-19
  • CDC: International Travel During COVID-19.