Summer 2021 – Danforth Campus Guidelines

BACKGROUND & PRINCIPLES

  • Fully vaccinated individuals are at low risk of contracting and reduced risk of spreading COVID-19.
  • There are still members of our university community who are not fully vaccinated and/or who are otherwise medically vulnerable.
  • The delta variant of COVID-19 is becoming more prevalent in the St. Louis region and we must prioritize the health and safety of all members of our community.
  • Individuals are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after they have received the second dose in a two-dose series or a single dose from a one-dose series of a COVID-19 vaccine authorized for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or the World Health Organization.
  • Initial estimates of vaccination rates among Danforth Campus faculty, staff and students are promising. Faculty, staff and trainees must be fully vaccinated by August 30. Employees can provide vaccination information by uploading it into the Occupational Health Electronic Medical Record system, Readyset. It is WUSTL key-enabled and all employees have a record. Students should upload their documentation through the student portal on the Habif Health and Wellness Center website. (See the bottom of this page for instructions for how to upload your documentation.) 
  • The vaccination rate in the St. Louis region remains well below “herd immunity.”

PUBLIC HEALTH REQUIREMENTS

Masking

  • In order to protect medically vulnerable members of our community, masking is required for everyone in indoor settings with groups of any size. 
  • Masks are required in all public indoor spaces (lobbies, open spaces, walkways, etc.). This applies to all individuals, regardless of vaccination status.
  • Masks are not required inside a closed office or private room with the door closed or while eating or drinking with appropriate (six-foot) physical distancing.
  • For individuals who are not fully vaccinated, masking is also required outdoors where physical distancing of at least six feet is not possible. For fully vaccinated individuals, masks are not required outside.
  • People may choose to remain masked regardless of vaccination status for any number of reasons and masking should not be interpreted as being unvaccinated.

Self-screening

  • All individuals on the Danforth Campus must complete a self-screening for COVID-19 symptoms using the university’s tool prior to coming to campus. Visitors should use the visitor screening tool.
  • All students, faculty or staff who develop COVID-19 symptoms must contact the COVID Call Center at 314-362-5056. 

Physical distancing

  • Fully vaccinated individuals do not need to maintain six-foot physical distancing requirements on the Danforth Campus. Individuals who are not fully vaccinated should continue to maintain six-foot physical distancing from others.

EVENTS AND MEETINGS

  • We strongly recommend utilizing large spaces or meeting outside when possible.
  • For outdoor events, masking is optional for fully vaccinated individuals. Unvaccinated individuals must remain masked unless they can ensure six-foot physical distancing. 
  • Masking is required for indoor events or meetings of any size. This applies to everyone, regardless of vaccination status.
  • There is not currently a cap on event/meeting size, but organizers must ensure that the event/meeting site provides sufficient space for six-foot physical distancing for attendees who are not fully vaccinated.
  • People may choose to remain masked regardless of vaccination status for any number of reasons and masking should not be interpreted as being unvaccinated. 
  • With the exception of fully vaccinated employees on the Danforth Campus, all participants should screen for COVID-19 symptoms prior to the event or gathering. WashU personnel should use the self-screening tool that is required for entering campus. Visitors should use the visitor screening tool. Evidence of a successfully passed screening should be given to the activity organizer on site. Active temperature monitoring is not necessary. 
  • Approval for events and meetings is not required as long as requests fall within these guidelines.
  • Questions regarding events or meetings may be sent to covidquestions@wustl.edu.  
  • Failure to adhere to guidelines will likely result in changes to guidelines and process. These guidelines rely on the commitment and support of our community. 

FOOD AND DRINK

  • Food and drink may be consumed in indoor private/semi-private environments and outdoors.
  • Food and drink may be consumed in some indoor public environments (e.g., on-campus dining facilities) where seats have been pre-positioned for appropriate physical distancing.
  • Fully vaccinated people may eat together, but must maintain at least six feet of physical distance from other tables or groups to allow for proper distancing from those who are not fully vaccinated.
  • Individuals who are not fully vaccinated should continue to maintain six-foot physical distancing from all other when eating or drinking, regardless of setting.
  • Food and drink are allowed at events/meetings as long as it is consumed in accordance with these guidelines.

TRAVEL

  • Work related domestic travel can resume and no longer requires pre-approval by the chancellor or the provost, a dean, executive vice chancellor or vice chancellor. Schools, departments and units may have other pre-approval processes unrelated to the pandemic.  Work-related domestic travel approval will return to pre-pandemic policy.
  • Work-related international travel still requires approval and should consider conditions in the country and essentiality of the travel. Review and approval should occur following the process outlined by the International Travel Oversight Committee (ITOC) here. 

VISITORS

  • Visitors are allowed on campus, but must complete the visitor self-screening within four hours of entering campus and must be familiar with and adhere to campus masking and distancing guidelines.
  • WARNING: Under Missouri law, any individual entering the premises or engaging the service of a business waives all civil liability against the individual or entity for any damages based on inherent risks associated with an exposure of potential exposure to CVOID-19, except for recklessness or willful misconduct. 

Note: These policies may be updated as disease activity changes and CDC guidelines and science advance. This includes a potential return to more restricted guidance, based on local conditions.

INSTRUCTIONS TO UPLOAD VACCINE DOCUMENTATION

Faculty and staff

  • Take a picture or scan your COVID-19 proof of vaccination
    • Please save the file in one of the extension formats: pdf, png, jpg, jpeg, txt, doc, docx, tif, tiff
  • Log in to your ReadySet account and go to the “My Health” tab
    • For a better experience, using Google Chrome is recommended
  • Choose “Documents” from the side navigation and then click “Upload Document”
    • Click “Select a File”’ to upload the document
    • Name the file in the “Document Name”’ field
    • Select “Document Type” and “COVID-19 Vaccination”

Note: Faculty and staff who received the COVID-19 vaccine through the university do not need to upload documentation.

Students

Upload an image of your COVID-19 vaccination record card in your student health portal by visiting the Habif Health and Wellness Center website and clicking on the link for Log in to the student portal. Please complete this no later than July 15.