Yes, Tufts will offer symptomatic testing for individuals on campus who have spoken with a Tufts clinician. If you are feeling sick, please follow the steps on the If You Are Sick page.

This is something that the class will express itself by voluntary actions and by wanting be respectful of their classmates and the faculty member. If mask wearing on campus is not being mandated, it can’t be enforced as a requirement and disciplinary action can’t be taken, even if the majority of students votes to wear masks in the classroom.

There are a couple of ways to do this. The first is to talk with a representative on the Leaves team by emailing Leaves@Tufts.edu, if your leave involves the care of a family member. You may also use vacation or personal time to cover the days you are out of the office.

We are requiring that undergraduates confirm their status with a negative antigen test out of an abundance of caution. Per CDC guidance, individuals do not need to test to be released from isolation. Therefore, it is not required that faculty and staff have a negative antigen test before returning to work or the classroom. If they are feeling better with a decrease in symptoms, they may return to campus on day six (after testing positive) provided they wear a mask at all times and be careful around others.

First of all, if individuals have symptoms consistent with SARS-CoV-2, they should not attend class or come to work on campus. However, they may avail themselves to testing on campus to determine whether or not they have SARS-CoV-2. As the incidence and prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in our community declines, do not forget about other communicable diseases. So, if you are feeling sick and test negative for COVID, you should still seek the advice of your primary care physician.

If you receive a positive test result from your primary care physician or another entity outside of a Tufts testing site, please provide official documentation of your positive test result for our health providers. Please ensure the uploaded documentation specifies your name, date of birth, what type of test was performed, test result, and test date. The reason for reporting a positive test is because it is one of the data points we use to make informed public health decisions for the university community.

Visitors are welcome to campus, provided they are vaccinated and boosted and follow the university’s indoor masking requirements and other COVID-19 safety guidelines. For more information, see our guidelines for campus visitors.

All visitors to Tufts campuses must be fully vaccinated and boosted. We do not always have the ability to check for proof of vaccination, but all visitors should be made aware of the policy. For more information, see our guidelines for campus visitors.

Tufts Purchasing department has set up procedures to centrally stock a number of PPE items needed to keep the university safe and healthy, including masks (disposable and N95, which are just for clinical and labs), disinfecting wipes, hand sanitizer/liquid gel, gloves, and cleaning supplies.

Please contact your department administrator who should have access to a form to request these items. If they do not have access to the form or you have a special request, please email ppe@elist.tufts.edu.

Managers and supervisors should follow the existing sick time and/or extended sick leave policies for employees who test positive for COVID-19. Please remind your employee to let us know they tested positive at go.tufts.edu/COVIDpositive. You may gently encourage your employee to tell their coworkers, but you cannot require it. Do not reach out to your employee’s close contacts on their behalf. Informing close contacts is the sole responsibility of the person who tested positive, as it discloses private health information. Many “close contacts” identified by those who are not healthcare professionals do not actually meet the definition of a close contact. All close contacts should follow CDC guidelines. Close contacts who are vaccinated and boosted should watch for symptoms but continue attending school or work as normal.

If you test positive for COVID-19 at a facility outside of Tufts University (e.g., a home rapid test) please let us know at go.tufts.edu/COVIDpositive and follow the university’s isolation guidelines. Additionally, we highly recommend that you check the CDC’s definition of a close contact and inform them. All close contacts should follow CDC guidelines. Close contacts who are vaccinated and boosted should watch for symptoms but continue attending school or work as normal.

If you have questions about sick time benefits, please contact your HR Business Partner.