Employees

Last Updated: 9/14/2022

Roger Williams University & Roger Williams University School of Law

FALL 2022 COVID GUIDELINES FOR FACULTY & STAFF

This information is subject to further adjustment and notification as conditions change.

Faculty and Staff who test positive for COVID-19

Contact Human Resources at human_resources@rwu.edu or Susan Guilmette at sguilmette@rwu.edu.

  1. Isolate for 5 days – Day 0 is your first day of symptoms OR your asymptomatic positive test date, whichever is earlier. If symptoms develop AFTER your positive test date, your symptom start date becomes Day 0. Day 1 is the first full day after your symptoms developed.
     
  2. Notify all your close contacts of your positive test. A close contact is anyone who has been within 6 feet of you for 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period while indoors during the two days before you developed symptoms OR two days before your positive test was taken if you do not have symptoms.
     
  3. Isolation ends after 5 full days (release on day 6) – kindly see the below information. You can end isolation after 5 full days if you are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and your other symptoms have improved (loss of taste and smell may persist for weeks or months after recovery and need not delay the end of isolation).
     
  4.  Continue to wear a well-fitting mask around others for 5 additional days (day 6 through day 10) after the end of your 5-day isolation period. If you are unable to wear a mask when around others, you should continue to isolate for a full 10 days. Avoid people who have weakened immune systems or are more likely to get very sick from COVID-19, and nursing homes and other high-risk settings, until after at least 10 days.
     
  5. If you continue to have a fever or exhibit other symptoms and they have not improved after 5 days of isolation, wait to end your isolation until you are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication. Continue to wear a well-fitting mask through day 10.
     
  6. After you have ended isolation, if your COVID 19 symptoms recur or worsen, restart your isolation at day 0. Contact your healthcare provider if you have questions about your symptoms or when to end isolation.
Faculty and Staff who are a close contact

If you were exposed to COVID-19 here are the steps that you should take regardless of your vaccination status or if you have had a previous infection. You do not need to quarantine but should wear a well-fitted mask around others for 10 days. If you develop symptoms, stay home and get tested.

  1. Day 0 is the day of your last exposure to someone with COVID-19.
  2. Day 1 is the first full day after your last exposure.
    1. Wear a well-fitted mask (KN95) as soon as you find out you were exposed anytime you are around others for 10 full days.
    2. Monitor yourself for symptoms. If symptoms develop, isolate immediately and get tested.
    3. Get tested at least 5 full days after your last exposure even if you do not develop symptoms. Continue taking precautions through day 10 – you can still develop COVID-19 up to 10 days after you have been exposed.

COVID-19 At Home Test Kits

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island is covering up to 8 home test kits per month for its members. The benefits team will be sending out an email notification to all RWU employees. 

  1. Each person on your BCBSRI non-Medicare plan is covered for up to 8 home test kits every 30 days.
    You don’t need a prescription or order from a healthcare provider. For a list of covered home test kits, please see the FAQs on the BCBSRI website.
     
  2. If you buy the tests at a participating pharmacy (at the pharmacy counter), you will pay $0 when using your BCBSRI member ID card.
    Even if a pharmacy is not participating in our network, you may be able to buy the test for $0, so please ask at the pharmacy counter. If you buy the tests at a retail store or online, you’ll need to submit a form, along with your receipt, and will be reimbursed up to $12 per individual test. If a test is sold in a package of two, that is considered two tests, and you will be reimbursed $24.
     
  3. Our participating pharmacy network for COVID-19 home test kits includes approximately 65,000 pharmacies nationwide, including CVS and Walgreens.
    Please note that this network may be different than your plan’s standard pharmacy network. A directory of the participating pharmacies nationwide will be available soon. Find participating pharmacies in Rhode Island.