COVID-19 Protocols
Mask-Optional Policy
Based on The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s most recent updates to its tracking and guidance, Elizabethtown College has updated our COVID-19 guidelines to make mask wearing optional on campus for students, employees, and all guests.
It is important to note that masks remain optional and acknowledge that wearing a mask is a personal choice. The College fully supports anyone who chooses to wear a mask and expects all members of the campus community to be respectful of this choice. We encourage civility and understanding around this matter.
It is also important to keep in mind that students and employees engaging in College-related experiences off-campus will need to comply with the requirements of external facilities when it comes to masking.
Should COVID-19 cases on our campus rise to significant levels or our county move into the CDC's high transmission categories, the College may reinstate the indoor masking mandate and will communicate that immediately. Visit this page for the most up-to-date information.
Fall 2022 Quarantine and Isolation Procedures
Due to limited housing available on campus, students who test positive for COVID-19 during the fall semester will be required to isolate themselves at home or in an off-campus location.
As a precaution, students should consult with their families and support networks prior to returning to campus to establish a plan for isolation.
Students in need of assistance or who have questions about their plan should contact the
COVID-19 Taskforce
.
When a student tests positive for COVID-19, they are expected to notify Student Health Nurse Kati Frey (phone: 717-588-1059,
freykatherine@etown.edu
) or Associate Dean of Students for Student Counseling and Health Needs Bruce Lynch (phone: 717-361-1405,
lynchbg@etown.edu). Student Health staff will communicate with the student to assess their needs and provide support, describe isolation procedures, and do contact tracing.
Isolation Procedure
Students who test positive for COVID-19 are expected to isolate at home or in an off campus location of their choosing. Isolation should last at least five days. After day five, if you experience no symptoms, you may return to campus but should continue to mask indoors for an additional five days. Students are expected to leave campus promptly. For students who are having difficulty identifying an off-campus location to isolate, staff will provide contact information for hotels in the area. Campus Safety can provide transportation to the hotel in some situations.
Quarantine Procedure
Individuals should only quarantine if showing symptoms of COVID-19. If you are showing symptoms of COVID-19, you should contact Student Health, test immediately and quarantine while you await results. Students who quarantine on campus will do so in their rooms and follow these guidelines until they are cleared:
- The student who is quarantining, and any roommates, will wear masks while awake and stay six feet apart as much as possible.
- The student who is quarantining will not attend class in person.
Individuals who are identified as contacts through the contact tracing process are not required to quarantine, regardless of vaccination status. Individuals who are identified as contacts are required to wear a mask when indoors for 10 days following the most recent contact, and test on day 5 after the most recent contact if not having symptoms.
Vaccine Guidelines
Elizabethtown College strongly encourages all members of the campus community to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and booster. While the College does not require individuals to be vaccinated, employees and students are required to submit their most recent Vaccine & Booster Verification Status as soon as possible.
