Coronavirus Update

Bloomsburg University COVID-19 Dashboard

Due to the global pandemic, it should be assumed the potential for COVID-19 exposure is everywhere. While there is public interest in knowing about positive cases, Bloomsburg University is obligated to protect the privacy of anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19.

COVID-19 cases included in this dashboard include positive, laboratory-verified test results reported to the Bloomsburg University Student Health Center or Office of Workplace Safety. Due to multiple testing sources with varying resulting timeframes, numbers are updated only when verified test results are received. The dashboard is updated on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings. This is the most current information available to us.

* Students (as of Apr. 21, 2021)
2 — positives isolating on-campus
6 — positives off-campus
5 — positives who have gone home
118 — Number out of isolation (students who have completed their required isolation)

* Employees (as of Apr. 21, 2021)
4 — positives isolating off-campus
21 — Number out of isolation (employees who have completed their required isolation)

BU's Office of the Dean of Students is committed to partnering with all Huskies to "protect the pack" and to being good neighbors within the Town of Bloomsburg. Accordingly, the Office of the Dean of Students takes very seriously any alleged violation of the Student Code of Conduct that impacts the health and wellness of both the BU community and all town residents. We have aggressively addressed issues of health and safety in the residence halls and in the Town of Bloomsburg.

As of Apr. 19, 2021
Students who have lost housing privileges: 7
Students who are presently on interim suspension: 0
Student organizations that are presently on interim suspension: 2
Students that are presently suspended: 2

Procedures for Positive Cases of COVID-19

Bloomsburg University’s Student Health Center or Office of Workplace Safety will generally become aware of a positive case in one of four ways:

• Notification from the Columbia County Department of Health
• Notification from the PA Department of Health if the person is tested in another county within Pennsylvania
• Notification from the test site or vendor if the test was ordered through the Student Health Center
• Notification from the individual self-reporting

What happens to the individual who tests positive?

The individual will be required to isolate in accordance with County and PA Department of Health and CDC guidelines.

Students On-Campus

Students residing on-campus at Bloomsburg University who test positive for COVID-19 are encouraged to make the best choice for their personal health care to either go to their home of record for the duration of their quarantine or recovery or stay on campus. A limited number of isolated rooms are available on campus for the duration of a specified quarantine period. Residence Life conducts in-person checks twice daily, meals are delivered, and the Student Health Center and/or campus health personnel conduct a daily check-in to support the student’s health and welfare.

Students Off-Campus

If the student is living off-campus, they're encouraged to go to their home of record for the duration of their quarantine or recovery, or the student will isolate at their place of residence, in accordance with County and PA Department of Health and CDC guidelines. Dining Services will accept someone coming to the Scranton Commons or Monty's to pick up food for an off-campus quarantined student. The meal ID of the quarantined student must be presented so a member of the Scranton Commons staff can swipe it. Students can see the full menu on the dining services Instagram stories.

If students do not have a meal plan, they should also arrange for sustainment support such as food delivery, or they may choose to go to their home of record. Student Health Center and campus health personnel conduct a daily check-in to support the student’s health and welfare.

Employees

If the individual is a faculty or staff member, they will isolate at home or another location following their local or state health department and CDC guidelines.

What should I do if I think I was exposed to COVID?

Review the CDC guidance for people exposed to individuals with known or suspected COVID-19 or possible COVID-19. In addition, there is a CDC glossary of terms with definitions for: close contact, exposure, isolation, and quarantine.

Communication Protocol

In the interest of transparency, we are guided by the following:

• The COVID-19 Dashboard will be updated on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, with numbers of confirmed positive cases.
• To protect the confidentiality and privacy of affected individuals, Bloomsburg University will not disclose any personally identifiable information.
• The University will not send an email message to the campus community or notify the media every time there is a positive case confirmed.

COVID-19 Update – Wednesday, April 21, 2021

COVID Testing

Access to Campus Testing
Testing will continue to be available if your access to campus needs change during the semester. There will be a limited number of testing appointments available on Tuesday from noon to 5 p.m. and Thursday from noon to 5 p.m. Please complete this pre-registration to schedule and select ONLY a Tuesday or Thursday afternoon time. Only Register if you have not done so previously.

Surveillance Testing
Surveillance testing continues throughout the semester. You’ll be notified through HuskySuccess if you’ve been selected, and you’ll be directed on how to schedule a time and pre-register if necessary. Failure to schedule or show up for your test may result in loss of access to Zoom and BOLT, as well as the matter being forwarded to the Dean of Students office. For questions or concerns about the surveillance process, please email covidsafety@bloomu.edu.

COVID Vaccine
We strongly recommend that all students get the Covid vaccine prior to returning to campus. You can get your vaccinations locally at Weis Pharmacy, Rite aid, or Susquehanna Valley Med Specialties P.C. in Bloomsburg; and Weis Pharmacy and Geisinger Health System in Danville. Berwick Hospital is having COVID vaccine clinic Thursday. No appointments necessary- can come as a walk-in. For up-to-date information, go to .

As you become vaccinated, please submit your vaccination dates and type (Moderna, Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson) to the Student Health Center through fax at 570-389-3417 or call 570-389-4451 to submit the type of vaccine and dates you received it. Those students that are fully vaccinated (both doses plus 2 weeks for immune response to mount) do not have to quarantine if exposed to someone who is positive for Covid-19 for surveillance.

As a vaccinated student, the science today recommends, and BU supports, that you will still need to participate in pre-testing and surveillance. Please note that we will be monitoring the CDC and new scientific evidence so that changes to pretesting and surveillance may be made for the Fall. Getting everyone fully vaccinated will bring us closer to a normal academic summer and Fall!

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do I keep getting these emails about testing? I live two hours away and all of my classes are completely online.
Any class that is listed as “blended” or “in-person” (with Zoom option) qualifies a student for the random selection. If you are living away from campus and learning completely online this semester, please contact Kristi Hammaker at khammaker@bloomu.edu to review your situation and determine whether you may be excused from testing. We know this is not perfect – nothing about this process is perfect and it has been a learning experience for all of us – but we are doing this to help ensure that we can keep campus open and operating through the end of the semester.

I was selected for testing. Help! I don’t want to lose my access to BOLT and Zoom!

• If you’ve been selected for testing, you will be notified through Husky Success. Please check your BU email at least once each day so you don’t miss the Husky Success email. When you receive directions for testing, please follow them carefully. Current testing times for surveillance are limited to Tuesdays and Thursdays and appointments must be scheduled through the link in the Husky Success notification email.
• If you have questions about this process, or for some reason think you cannot meet this requirement, notify Kristi Hammaker, BU Health Educator, at khammaker@bloomu.edu for more information. As a reminder, if you have never had COVID testing at BU, you will be asked to also complete the pre-registration process through the Health Center webpage. Make sure when you complete this pre-registration process, you schedule ONLY a Tuesday or Thursday afternoon time that aligns with the appointment you scheduled in Husky Success.

I am fully vaccinated (it’s been 2 weeks since my last vaccine and within 90 days of being vaccinated), and I do not have symptoms. Do I need to participate in the random surveillance testing?
Yes. Although you are fully vaccinated, you will still need to participate in random testing, due to the potential to still contract Covid.

Do I need to be tested if I have already had Covid?
If you have had Covid within the past 90 days, please contact Kristi Hammaker at khammaker@bloomu.edu as you will not need to test. For all others, yes, if you are exposed and not vaccinated and/or have symptoms, you will need to be tested for the Covid virus since there are many variants and it is possible to get Covid again.

I just got tested earlier this week. Why am I receiving another email about getting tested?
Surveillance testing will continue throughout the semester and students may be selected several times at varying intervals between tests. Some students may receive the email request to test right after completing testing during the same week. Because the students are chosen randomly and are computer generated, this is a possible outcome. A student could be drawn every time, or never, because it’s random.

I’m on an athletic team and we get tested regularly. Do I have to participate in the random testing program too?
If a student is on an athletic team, they have to test per NCAA regulations and per the University’s student contract. Please contact Kristi Hammaker at khammaker@bloomu.edu to review your situation.

I tested negative for COVID during move-in week. Why do I have to get tested again?
Bloomsburg University is doing ongoing “random surveillance testing.” This allows BU to identify asymptomatic cases — individuals who do not have any symptoms of COVID-19 but may have the virus and are capable of spreading it — that require quarantine. Testing also allows BU to assess the levels of any potential spread of the virus in the student population and take appropriate action. By testing as many people as possible, BU hopes to minimize the risk of infection on campus and in the neighboring community.

My friends and I tested negative for Covid at BU’s testing clinic. Can we get together without masking or social distancing, like at a “normal” party?

• If you test negative for COVID-19, you probably were not infected at the time your sample was collected. This DOES NOT mean you will not get sick.
• A negative test result only means that you did not have COVID-19 at the time of testing or that your sample was collected too early in your infection.
• You could also be exposed to COVID-19 after the test and then get infected and spread the virus to others.
• If you have symptoms later, you may need another test to determine if you are infected with the virus that causes COVID-19.
• The short answer is “no.” You are putting yourself and others at risk of contracting the virus.

COVID Symptom Testing
If you have symptoms related to COVID-19 or if you flagged an alert on your Husky Health Checker due to symptoms, please self-quarantine until you talk with a health care provider. Contact the Student Health Center (SHC) at 570-389-4451 to schedule telehealth appointments and possible testing available on campus.

When the SHC is closed or on weekends:

• If you live in the Bloomsburg community, contact the Geisinger COVID-19 hotline (570-284-3657). The Geisinger COVID-19 Hotline is also available on weekends.
• Contacting your local medical services, like your Primary Care Physician's office or local Department of Health should be your first step as they have more specific and updated information about resources in your area.

Husky Health Checker
All members of the BU community (faculty/staff/students) are encouraged to monitor their health each day by utilizing the Husky Health Checker survey. Upon completion of the survey, retain the badge on your mobile device by leaving your browser tab open or taking a screenshot, or on your computer by printing it or taking a picture of your screen using your mobile device.

Government COVID-19 Resources

• PASSHE Coronavirus Information
• CDC
• PA Department of Health
• World Health Organization
• Governor Tom Wolf