Updates on Boosters, testing notifications, and quarantine guidelines

I write today with some promising news. While levels of COVID-19 infection remain high in our region and continue to increase in other parts of the country, numbers of new cases and hospitalizations in Connecticut and in New Haven are no longer rising and may be starting to decline. These changes are very recent so must be interpreted with caution, but they do give us hope that we may see an end to the current surge in the not-too-distant future.

That said, current numbers of infections remain high, and Omicron is still present and remains extremely infectious. I wrote last week to describe steps that each one of us can take to reduce our risk of becoming infected or transmitting COVID-19 to others. Today I will share some updates on university policies and procedures.

Am I up to date on my vaccinations? Must I get boosted?

Our experience with Omicron has reaffirmed that being up to date on all recommended vaccines for COVID-19, including boosters, is our most important layer of protection from serious illness. Last month, the university announced that all students, except those with approved exemptions, would be required to receive boosters before returning for the spring semester, or as soon as they became eligible for the booster. Yesterday, Provost Scott Strobel and Senior Vice President for Operations Jack Callahan announced that booster requirements will now apply to faculty, managerial and professional staff, and postdoctoral fellows and associates. Staff represented by bargaining units will receive information about boosters in a separate communication.

You can make an appointment now for a vaccination, including a booster, through the Yale COVID-19 Vaccine Program or at sites across the state and around the country. If you need assistance in scheduling an appointment, at Yale or elsewhere, please do not hesitate to call the Campus COVID Resource Line at 203-432-6604.

It is very important that you submit or confirm your information about your COVID-19 vaccinations, including boosters. Not only is submission of this information to the university required, but having access to this information will also enable Yale Health and our contact tracing team to give you correct advice if you test positive for COVID-19 or if you are exposed to COVID-19. This advice may vary based upon your vaccination and booster status. Follow these tips if you need assistance in submitting or confirming your information.

Waiting for a test result? Check your email or answer your phone.

As we have seen in recent weeks, cases of COVID-19 can increase rapidly. Because it is important that those who test positive isolate as soon as possible, the Yale Health Resulting Team may use either telephone or email methods to communicate results in a timely way when positive case rates are high. Therefore, please monitor your email carefully and answer your phone if you are waiting for test results. Whether you receive an email or a telephone notification of your positive test result, you will be provided with guidance about how to care for yourself and protect others.

Regardless of whether you are notified of your positive test result by telephone or email, you will still receive a phone call from the Yale Contact Tracing Team to gather information about your exposures and individuals with whom you may have been in close contact.

What’s new with quarantine recommendations for close contacts?

In my message last week, I shared information about changes in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance and university procedures for isolating individuals who test positive for COVID-19. In line with the updated guidance from the CDC, the university has also updated its procedures for quarantine of those individuals who are close contacts of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. More specifically:

If you are a close contact and you are vaccinated and have received a booster:

• You are not required to quarantine as long as you have no symptoms
• You must monitor for symptoms for 10 days
• You must wear a well-fitting mask when around others indoors and outdoors for 10 days
• You must have a PCR test on the day of notification (day 1) and on days 3 and 5  

If you are a close contact and you are vaccinated but have not received a booster or if you are unvaccinated:

• You must quarantine for 5 days
• You must wear a well-fitting mask when around others indoors and outdoors for 10 days
• You must have a PCR test on the day of notification (day 1) and on days 3 and 5  

In the coming days, we look forward to welcoming many of our students back to campus from across the country and around the world. During this time of transition and while the highly infectious Omicron variant is still circulating, it is more important than ever that each of us remains up to date on and follows all of our health and safety measures. Thank you as always for your continued diligence and commitment to keeping our campus as safe and healthy as possible.

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