Campus Health Update: More Information for Fall 2021

August 12, 2021

Dear Tulane Community:

Tulane University students, faculty and staff have been active partners in our COVID-19 response by promoting a safer campus environment. More than 92% of Tulane faculty and staff and more than 95% of students report that they are fully vaccinated. These numbers are increasing daily. If you have not done so, please report your vaccination status immediately.

In light of the rapidly spreading Delta variant and recent guidance from the Louisiana Department of Health, Orleans Parish and the CDC, we have reinstated many of our safety protocols from last year.

Information in this email applies to both the uptown and downtown campuses, the primate center and all students – undergraduate, graduate or professional – both on and off campus.

With the highest risk for COVID-19 transmission occurring in indoor settings, masks are required, regardless of vaccination status, in all indoor public and common spaces on campus – including classrooms, laboratories, shuttles and other meeting spaces.

Masks are not required when outdoors on campus. However, unvaccinated persons should still wear masks outdoors when attending an outdoor gathering. Mask requirements for outdoor gatherings of a certain size and density may be necessary for vaccinated persons, too. Directives for such events will be announced prior to the event and/or through signage at the event location.

Current masking policies will remain in place until Sept. 1. Students must be masked when attending class. Current guidance does not require social distancing in classrooms or other settings. More details on how classroom instruction will continue during the mask mandate has been sent in a separate email to faculty. Certain department and areas of the university may have stricter safety protocols based on the nature of the work performed.

We will continue monitoring changes in public health guidance and community indicators and provide further revisions to campus policies and protocols when necessary.

Testing & Tracing

Please review the Fall 2021 Return to Campus Testing Communication below:

Please make sure to schedule an appointment for testing at the uptown or downtown testing centers as soon as you receive the testing email. Everyone should complete at least two tests during the month of August; one may be your pre-arrival test.

  • Students should receive a pre-arrival COVID-19 test at an off-campus testing location 72 hours before the student’s first arrival on campus. Be sure to upload your test results to the patient portal prior to move-in. You can submit any type of test (PCR, Rapid, etc).
     
  • Undergraduate, graduate and professional students should have a plan for how they will isolate if they test positive for COVID-19 in pre-arrival testing. Tulane has limited isolation space for COVID-positive students living on campus, but not for off-campus students.
     
  • Unvaccinated students, living on or off-campus, will need to have a plan for quarantine should they test positive or come in close contact with someone who is positive prior to arriving on campus. Students who need help with isolation or quarantine can reach out to Case Management and Victim Support Services (CMVSS) for help.

If you HAVE NOT received an email to schedule your first on campus test by August 20, email CHTestResults@tulane.edu for assistance.

Faculty and staff are asked not to send emails on behalf of students or employees to CHTestResults@tulane.edu. Campus Health officials must work directly with each tested individual.

For the more information on Tulane Testing and Contact tracing please click here.

COVID-19 Dashboard

Our COVID-19 dashboard has been updated for Fall 2021.

As previously reported, our employee vaccination rate is over 92% and our student vaccination rate is over 95%. Student vaccination rates continue to increase as students arriving have easier access to the vaccines. Employee vaccination rates continue to increase, as well.  We will share vaccination rate updates periodically via Campus Health Updates.

If you have questions about testing, please email CHTestResults@tulane.edu.

To report a positive COVID test result, please complete the online COVID-19 Reporting Form.