Updates on Testing, Quarantine and Screening Requirements

This message is sent on behalf of Penny Rue, Vice President of Campus Life.

Dear Wake Forest Undergraduate Students,

I write to you today with an update regarding Wake Forest’s plans for the Fall 2020 semester. Some professional school classes are already underway, and undergraduate move-in begins August 17, with classes starting August 26. We continue to monitor the number of reported cases of the virus in our community, in North Carolina, and throughout the United States. In daily consultations with public health officials, we continue to make adjustments to our approach and fine tune strategies to promote health and better prepare for a successful semester.

One of the strategies Wake Forest will be implementing is to require undergraduate students to be tested for COVID-19 and quarantine before accessing campus. Consistent with our initial plan in Our Way Forward, Wake Forest will also require students to complete a daily symptom screening. The symptom screening’s daily symptom and activity ratings underscore the University’s focus on and commitment to early detection and response. We have also enhanced our already robust plan to accommodate students with isolation space if they test positive for the virus after arriving on campus.

There are three key requirements to prepare for your return to campus:

• Complete pre-arrival testing process through the Azova Health portal
• Self-quarantine and monitor for symptoms for 14 days prior to accessing campus
• Register on the SneezSafe website to be prepared to begin the daily symptom screening upon arrival to campus

Below, we provide details of these three key requirements. Please read the following instructions carefully.

COVID-19 Testing Requirements

Undergraduate students must complete a COVID-19 test and be cleared to return before moving into campus housing or accessing campus. There are some exceptions to the testing requirement; additional information about those exceptions and testing results is provided below.

Students should not attempt to make testing arrangements outside of the Wake Forest at- home testing program.

At-Home Testing Program
Wake Forest has contracted with Azova Health, a digital health technology company, to provide an at-home testing collection kit, which involves a simple, self-administered saliva swab. Azova will ship the testing kit directly to a student’s home anywhere within the U.S. The test is FDA approved to detect the presence of the SARS Cov_2 virus in your saliva. This can help to determine if you may be infected and currently have COVID-19. The results will enable Wake Forest to create a baseline assessment of both individual and population health.

Wake Forest requests that all students use Azova Health’s system because of its convenience, more consistent results across a single testing platform, and its ability to provide a secure portal for sending testing results to Wake Forest’s Student Health Service. With this single, unified system, Wake Forest can facilitate the student move-in process and begin the return to campus as seamlessly as possible. Your testing information will be secure throughout this process. Wake Forest will be notified when students have completed the testing requirements and the student and university will automatically be notified of the test results.

In the next few days, Wake Forest will send a link to students for our dedicated Azova Health portal. It is important to wait for our message to initiate the process. Students will be asked to provide payment directly to Azova Health via the portal. The cost of the test is $129, and may be covered by insurance providers. Each provider is different so it will be important to contact your provider to determine if your test is covered. Students eligible for financial assistance will receive a coupon code from the University in a separate email to be used on the Azova Health portal as payment for the test.

International students planning to live on campus or in Winston-Salem
As noted in a previous communication, under CDC guidance any student returning from outside the United States will be expected to self-quarantine for 14 days in the United States prior to any in-person engagement with the University community. When creating your account in the Azova Health portal, request that your testing kits be sent to your quarantine location. Additional information specific to international students will be sent shortly.

Students who previously tested positive for COVID-19
Students who have documentation of a positive test for COVID-19 within 90 days of their arrival on campus should provide documentation of the positive test and confirmation of completing the isolation period as outlined by CDC guidelines. Students should contact the Student Health Service for information about how to submit the documentation. No further testing is necessary prior to coming to campus and you will not need to participate in the Azova home test.

Students who previously tested negative over the summer
Students may provide documentation of a negative COVID-19 test as long as the testing date (the day the specimen was collected) was within 30 days of arrival on campus. Students should contact the Student Health Service for information about how to submit the documentation. If your negative test result meets these criteria, you do not need to participate in the Azova home test. Any negative test taken before one month from your arrival will not be accepted, and you will need to participate in the Azova home test.

Student-athletes
The Athletics Department will communicate directly with student-athletes about the testing requirements for their respective sports. Student-athletes tested through the Athletics Department do not need to participate in the Azova home test.

Quarantine and Isolation Requirements Prior to Accessing Campus

Undergraduate students residing in University housing or off campus must complete a 14-day self-quarantine period concluding on the day prior to their move-in date or accessing campus. While in self-quarantine, students are expected to remain in their residence and avoid exposure to anyone who is infected or who may have been exposed to someone infected with COVID-19. If contact with visitors to the residence is unavoidable, students should maintain a minimum of six feet of distance, wear a cloth face covering, and practice diligent hand washing.

If a student tests positive for COVID-19 after taking the Azova at-home test and has not developed symptoms, the student must isolate for a period of 10 days from the date they collected their specimen for testing. If the student develops symptoms after the test has been collected, the student will need to be cleared by a medical provider with documentation that they have met CDC criteria for release from isolation. While in isolation, students are expected to remain in one place and avoid contact with others to prevent the spread of the virus. Should this isolation period cause the student to miss his or her current move-in date, a new date may be arranged with Residence Life and Housing.

Regardless of a student’s test results, if a student develops symptoms of COVID-19 while in self-quarantine, the student should contact their medical provider or seek medical evaluation for their symptoms to determine if additional testing or isolation for COVID-19 is necessary.

Daily Screening Requirements

Undergraduate students who will be residing in University housing or accessing campus are expected to complete a daily COVID-19 symptom screening using an online tool, SneezSafe, which was developed in partnership with Wake Forest Baptist Health. Students should log onto the site to register at least one day prior to arrival and start using this screening tool the day they arrive on campus. Students will be expected to continue to use the tool at the beginning of each day throughout the semester.

The Student Health Service will have access to the daily screening results to assist students who need a medical assessment. Personal information will be kept confidential. Based on symptoms and/or known exposures to COVID-19, the daily screening will let students know if they should contact Student Health Services for additional information or testing.

Register on the SneezSafe website using the registration code “WF2” and your Student ID number. Students should provide a cell phone number upon registration and must select the option to receive text reminders to complete the daily screening. Email contact@sneezsafe.com for technical support.

Testing and quarantine schedule

• Log into the portal as soon as you receive the link from Wake Forest to request your test kit.
• Begin quarantine 14 days before your move-in date. (see table below).
• Submit your test sample no later than 10 days before your move-in date.
• Register on the SneezSafe app before arriving on campus and begin symptom monitoring the morning of arrival

Please review the following table for instruction as to the timing for testing and quarantine:

*First-year students will get their housing assignment by July 31, which will allow them to schedule a move-in appointment.

Plan to Accommodate Students Testing Positive After Arriving on Campus

If a student is tested by the Student Health Service or by another medical provider due to symptoms or possible exposure, the student must remain in isolation until cleared by a medical provider. Students who reside on campus and who are confirmed or suspected to have COVID-19 will be provided with appropriate isolation housing. Wake Forest will arrange food delivery and other necessities to limit contact with others while in isolation. Students should contact their professors to avoid an interruption of studies.

If additional isolation space is needed, Wake Forest has exclusive contracts with local hotels to provide quarantine and isolation accommodations. This means that the hotel will be exclusive of other guests and only will be used to house Wake Forest students. Each room will have a private bathroom. Only Wake Forest students who are serving isolation or quarantine periods will be permitted in the hotels. Wake Forest will provide security, food services and medical attention while monitoring the progress of each student. Upon successful completion of the required isolation period, and with the clearance of medical personnel, students will be able to return to their residence hall and fully rejoin campus activities.

Students living off campus will be instructed to self-isolate in their off-campus residence.

Student Health Service will provide guidance on appropriate measures for isolation and will provide daily telehealth check-ins with these students as well. The Student Health Service will also provide assessment and medical clearance to return to campus.

As noted in earlier updates, while this semester is sure to challenge us all in ways we cannot anticipate, we believe we have a plan that will allow students opportunities to engage with peers and faculty while we deliver the rigorous academic coursework for which Wake Forest is known. By meeting the requirements for testing and quarantine prior to arrival, we enhance our chances of starting the semester well and completing the semester successfully.

Questions related to requirements for testing, quarantine, daily symptom monitoring and our plans to accommodate students who test positive once on campus should be submitted through the Our Way Forward website.

Sincerely,
Penny Rue
Vice President of Campus Life