Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resources

Staying up-to-date with your COVID and flu vaccinations is one of the best ways to get the most out of your campus experience. Vaccines protect you and others against COVID-19.

COVID-19 vaccines are widely available in the United States to anyone 6 months and older. If you have any questions about the vaccines or how to get them, reach out to your healthcare provider, seek information from trusted and credible sources, talk to others who have already been fully vaccinated, make the choice that best protects yourself and others, and get vaccinated.

The Utah Department of Health has information on:

• Where you can get vaccinated in Utah
• The safety and effectiveness of vaccines

Steps for washing your hands thoroughly:

1. Wet your hands.
2. Lather your entire hands.
3. Scrub between your fingers and under your fingernails.
4. Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds.
5. Rinse and dry your hands.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.

Handwashing is especially important after using the restroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, sneezing, or coughing.

Supervisors should make sure their office is stocked with facial tissue and hand sanitizer, and ensure that there is easy access to hand-washing facilities.

Some people may prefer not to shake hands or touch others. Be respectful of these preferences.

Masks are optional in most shared indoor spaces on campus. Westminster University is continually monitoring CDC guidance and COVID-19 transmission data, and will communicate with the campus community when circumstances require a change in policy.

Wear your face covering when you:

• Are in Student Health Services for COVID testing or you are experiencing symptoms of respiratory illness 

• Are within about 10 days of being exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19

• Are within 10 days of having tested positive for COVID-19

• Are experiencing any symptoms of respiratory illness, even if you have tested negative for COVID-19

Cloth face coverings should not be placed on children younger than 2 years of age or on anyone who has trouble breathing or is unconscious, incapacitated, or otherwise unable to remove the cover without assistance.

Proper Face Covering Materials and Fit

A high-quality face covering, such as an N95 or KN95 respirator, will offer you the most individual protection. Ensure that you have a good fit and that it covers your nose and mouth. Discard and use a new one if it becomes visibly dirty or is damaged in some way.

A reusable cloth face covering must be made of double-layered fabric and completely cover both nose and mouth. Medical masks are also acceptable. Face coverings with exhalation valves or made of fleece or knit material are not acceptable.

Reusable cloth face coverings should be washed between each day of use or when they become visibly dirty. Disposable face coverings cannot be effectively cleaned for re-use. Discard and use a new one if it becomes visibly dirty or is damaged in some way.

Face coverings should fit snugly against your face and cover your nose and mouth at all times. Your face covering should be fitted above the nose and below the mouth.

Communication While Wearing a Face Covering

Face coverings can sometimes make it difficult to communicate, especially for people who have disabilities that impact speech or hearing. To effectively communicate while protecting yourself and others from coronavirus, you can plan to communicate through a video or phone call, or through written communication like email, text, or chat. If you’re trying to communicate during an in-person interaction, you can write your conversation on a notepad using individual pens or type your conversation out on your phones.

Before coming to campus or leaving your residence hall, everyone, including contractors and visitors, must check themselves for symptoms. You can check your symptoms every day by going through the list of symptoms below and self-assessing. Do not come to campus if you are sick or if you are advised to get tested.

If you are not sick and must come to campus for classes or other obligations, follow all the guidelines for being on campus.

Check yourself for the following COVID-19 symptoms:

• Cough
• Shortness of breath
• Fever (temperature over 100.3º F without the use of fever-reducing medication)
• Chills
• Repeated shaking with chills
• Muscle pain
• Headache
• Sore throat
• New loss of taste or smell

Do not come to campus if:

• You're experiencing COVID-19 symptoms
• You feel sick
• You have been asked to self-isolate by a medical professional or local public health official

The restriction on close contact does not apply to health professionals who have provided healthcare with appropriate personal protective equipment.

Students and employees can be tested for COVID-19 for free at Student Health Services. If you are experiencing symptoms of illness or have a known exposure to someone who tested positive for COVID-19, you must call Student Health Services at 801.832.2239 to schedule an appointment and talk to a nurse practitioner before your testing appointment. Fill out your testing intake forms before your appointment.

If you're sick, stay home and avoid close contact with others. Call your health provider before arriving for medical care.

• Avoid contact with people who are sick.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or sleeve when coughing and sneezing.

If you're sick or experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, follow the CDC guidelines for preventing spread of respiratory viruses when you are sick.

Students and employees can be tested for COVID-19 for free at Student Health Services. If you are experiencing symptoms of illness or have a known exposure to someone who tested positive for COVID-19, you must call Student Health Services at 801.832.2239 to schedule an appointment and talk to a nurse practitioner before your testing appointment. Fill out your testing intake forms before your appointment.

Exposure

You will generally know if you were exposed to COVID-19 if you are notified by someone you were in contact with, or if a member of your household has tested positive.

If you feel sick, stay home and seek testing. Follow the CDC’s guidelines for preventing the spread of respiratory viruses.

If you do not feel sick, you can take precautions by wearing a high-quality mask in shared indoor spaces, and by seeking testing about 5 days after you were last in contact with the person who tested positive for COVID-19. Ideally, you would mask for about 10 days as a precaution.

If You Test Positive for COVID-19

1. Do not come to campus/attend classes.
2. Follow the CDC's guidelines for preventing the spread of respiratory viruses.
3. Notify anyone you have recently been in close contact with. 

Find Salt Lake County COVID-19 testing locations.

Regularly clean and disinfect shared work areas, including desks, tables, phones, computers, keyboards, and computer mice.

Campus cleaning personnel are taking these extra precautions while cleaning campus facilities:

• Public and common areas are being disinfected regularly.
• Offices are cleaned on Tuesday and Friday evenings. The custodial responsibilities are to empty the trash, vacuum the floors, and disinfect all high touch point areas (along with dusting once a week and cleaning carpets once a year). If you have a concern that something in your office is not getting done, email Holly Patterson at hpatterson@westminsteru.edu with your building and office number to make arrangements for cleaning and disinfecting.

Be aware that concern around this evolving issue can lead to stigma and bias.

• Coronavirus doesn’t recognize race, nationality, or ethnicity.
• Wearing a face mask does not mean that a person is ill.
• Submit a Bias Report if you see, hear, or read misinformation or harassment.
• Show compassion and support for those who have been most closely impacted.