Important Guidelines for Returning to Campus after Break

Dear Members of the Yale Community,

I hope that you had a restful and enjoyable Thanksgiving Day.  I am writing this holiday week to update you on public health conditions and to provide you with important university guidance to help keep infection rates in our community as low as possible as we return to campus to complete this semester.

In many parts of the country, including Connecticut, COVID-19 infections have been increasing. COVID-19 cases at Yale and in the broader population have frequently been associated with travel and indoor social gatherings. Given that these two activities are traditional aspects of the Thanksgiving holiday, and in light of current public health conditions, members of the university community are expected to adhere to the following guidelines:

• Anyone who has traveled over the break and is returning to campus should obtain a COVID-19 test within 48 hours of return. Until a negative result is received, each traveler should:
  • mask,
  • observe physical distancing wherever possible, and
  • avoid participating in large social gatherings.
• Anyone, regardless of location, who has symptoms, even if mild, must obtain a COVID-19 test as soon as possible and remain home until a negative result is received.
• All adult members of our community are now eligible and strongly encouraged to receive a COVID-19 vaccine booster six months after receiving their last shots of Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines or two months after receiving the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccine. Booster appointments are available through the Yale COVID-19 Vaccine Program and at other sites across the state.
• Students are strongly encouraged to refrain from travel during the last weeks of the fall semester.
• Everyone should consider take-out or delivery options instead of in-person, off-campus dining and avoid gathering at bars.
• Everyone should continue to follow the health and safety guidelines on campus, including required routine testing and indoor mask wearing.
• Anyone may call the Campus COVID Resource Line (203-432-6604, toll free 866-924-9253, 7 days a week from 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.) for information or advice.

The community’s diligence, patience, and flexibility have been critical in allowing us to engage in on-campus activities, even as the public health landscape evolves. Many thanks for playing your part to keep our campus as safe as possible through the remainder of our fall semester and beyond.

Stephanie S. Spangler, M.D.
Vice Provost for Health Affairs and Academic Integrity
Clinical Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences
University COVID-19 Coordinator