Comprehensive Prevention Strategy for Faculty and Staff

The following message was sent to the University of Portland faculty and staff on January 8, 2021

As the University begins to finalize plans for welcoming approximately 1,000 students back to campus this month, we have put safeguards in place to reduce the risk of COVID-19 on campus.  Please carefully read this email, follow the directions closely, and reach out if you need support.

Employee Designations

Each faculty and staff member has been classified in one of the following categories based on expected level of contact with students or one another:

• High Contact. Those in this group will be required to screen for symptoms, and participate in 2 baseline tests and more frequent surveillance testing.
• Low Contact. Those in this group will be required to screen for symptoms, and participate in 1 baseline test and less frequent surveillance testing.
• No Contact. Those in this group will be required to screen for symptoms if coming to campus, but will not be required to participate in baseline or surveillance testing.
• Exclusively Remote. Those in this group will not participate in any preventative screening or testing measures on campus.
• Tested by Athletics. Those in this group will participate in the preventative screening and testing measures coordinated by Athletics.

If you do not know your employee designation, please contact your area Vice President as you will need this information to proceed.  Please note: the No Contact group does not participate in testing but should utilize the screening application when coming to campus.  Exclusively Remote employees do not participate in testing or screening.

Symptom Screening

If you were on campus in the fall of 2020, you are most likely familiar with the CAMPUS CLEAR symptom screening application. Faculty and staff in the High Contact, Low Contact, and No Contact groups will continue using the CAMPUS CLEAR application to screen for symptoms when coming to campus. If you are not in one of these testing groups described above, you can skip to the Symptomatic COVID-19 Testing portion of this message.

Faculty and staff in the High and Low-Contact groups will also need to start using the new CARBON HEALTH mobile application for scheduling testing appointments and reviewing results. This is in addition to using CAMPUS CLEAR for symptom screening. You will receive an invitation to register on January 11, 2021. Please register upon receipt and follow these instructions (in this specific order):

To start the program, you will:

1. Be invited via an email sent from Carbon Health
2. Register for the program on a web browser using your up.edu email address
3. Registration will include creating an account, signing the COVID-19 release waiver and completing a coronavirus assessment
4. Note: Entering your insurance information is optional and testing costs will be covered by University of Portland. Be sure to click on “Enter Details Manually”
5. Go to the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and download the Carbon Health app
6. Attend the on-campus testing event as notified to get a COVID-19 test

For technical support for the application, please contact up-support@carbonhealth.com. More information will be shared from CARBON HEALTH soon.

Asymptomatic COVID Testing

To ensure a safe and healthy campus, we are asking staff in the High Contact and Low Contact groups to participate in baseline and surveillance testing. Those in the No Contact, Exclusively Remote and Tested by Athletics groups do not participate in the testing listed below.

For High Contact and Low Contact groups, please read the directions below carefully to ensure you know how to proceed.

Baseline Test 1:

All staff in the High Contact and Low Contact groups are required to get a baseline COVID test between the dates of January 15, 2021 and January 21, 2021 Please work with your supervisor, if necessary, to get your test during regular business hours. Follow the steps below to procure a COVID-19 test. NOTE: The Cares Act may expire after January 21, 2021 so it is imperative not to miss the timeline. Please make a plan upon receipt of this message!

Option 1: Kaiser

For Kaiser members, log in to KP.org
Click Schedule a COVID-19 test
Click COVID-19 testing
Click yes to See if you are eligible for a COVID-19 test
Click yes to Were you told by your employer or school to get a COVID-19 test

Option 2

For non-Kaiser members, procure a COVID-19 test by contacting your primary care provider to request a COVID-19 test, notifying them you need one to return to work.

Option 3

You can also visit a local Walgreens, Rite Aid, or drugstore that is providing COVID-19 testing. OHSU is another option. The Cares Act should cover this cost. If you are a Kaiser member, you can contact Kaiser member services about reimbursement options as needed.

Option 4

If you have a personal hardship or are unable to fulfill this requirement, please contact Sean Ducey who can provide additional resources or support at ducey@up.edu.

Baseline Test Results:

Staff and faculty are asked to show evidence of test results by completing the following form: Covid Baseline Test Results - Spring 2021.

Baseline Test 2:

Starting the week of January 25, staff with a High Contact designation ONLY will be scheduled for a second baseline COVID-19 test. You do not need to do anything at this time; Sean Ducey will send you an email with a link to sign up for your second baseline test. The testing center will be located on campus in the Lund Family Annex across the street from the Chiles Center. Please note: Low-Contact staff and faculty will not participate in the second baseline COVID-19 test.

Surveillance Tests:

All faculty and staff with High and Low Contact designations will be part of ongoing surveillance testing from February 1, 2021 to May 7, 2021. Employees will be assigned to pods or stratified random samples based on anticipated contact groups. You will be notified a week in advance when you are selected for surveillance testing at which point you can schedule a test using the CARBON HEALTH application.

Symptomatic COVID Testing

Any staff member who experiences COVID-19 symptoms during the spring semester is required to: (1) report symptoms to Human Resources, (2) immediately refrain from coming to campus until approval to come back to campus is provided by Human Resources, and (3) contact your health provider for symptomatic testing, isolation instructions, and treatment planning.

Support

In the spirit of collaboration and good will, we ask for your patience as we roll out this comprehensive screening and testing plan for our campus community. We have put a lot of thought and care into this plan but expect there to be some challenges from time-to-time. If you need support with scheduling or rescheduling testing or have questions about the app, please contact up-support@carbonhealth.com. For more general questions or to provide feedback, please contact one of us.

Go Pilots!

Matthew Rygg, Associate Vice President for Student Development
Joe Kaleel, Director of Campus Events
Sean Ducey, Associate Director of Campus Events