COVID-19

Follow these preventive actions to use at all COVID-19 Community Levels (Low, Medium or High)

• Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines. 

• Improve ventilation indoors and move indoor activities outdoors. 

• Get tested for COVID-19 if you have symptoms or have been exposed. 

• If you have COVID-19 or you are suspected of having COVID-19, follow isolation recommendations and stay home until you are cleared.  Wear a high-quality mask when around others. 

• If you have COVID-19 and are at high risk of getting very sick, seek medical treatment as there is medication available. 

• Avoid contact with people who have suspected or confirmed COVID-19. 

When the COVID-19 Community Level is Medium or High 

• If you are at high risk of getting very sick, wear a high-quality mask when indoors in public 

• If you will be spending time with someone who is at high risk for getting very sick, consider self-testing before seeing them, and wearing a high-quality mask around them. 

When the COVID-19 Community Level is High 

• Wear a high-quality mask 

• If you are at high risk of getting very sick, consider avoiding non-essential indoor activities in pubilc and avoid crowded areas where you could be exposed. 

Students who elect to participate in the daily self-screener should complete it before noon or prior to leaving their residence for campus each day, whichever comes first. If you do not receive daily screening notifications via email (from covid-19-screening@reply.calpoly.edu) or text message, access the daily self-screening tool in your Cal Poly Portal.

Upon completion, you will receive a daily color-coded campus pass (based on your health). If you receive a red pass, we recommend that you refrain from attending class and follow instructions from COVID-19 Help. If you have been notified that you are required to isolate, your daily screening tool will be temporarily disabled throughout your required isolation period. 

Enforcement

• As part of our collective efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19, the university requires members of the campus community to comply with all COVID-19 related protocols on campus. Protocols may update as needed. Please visit the Cal Poly Roadmap for all up-to-date policies.
• In addition, any student found falsifying information may be subject to conduct sanctions, including possible suspension or expulsion from the university. For more information, please visit the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities website.

test, stay home, and wear a high-quality mask around others

Students who are symptomatic should self-isolate in their rooms and wear a high-quality mask until their diagnosis is known. If the test result is positive, students should follow isolation recommendations and report their positive result to the Cal Poly Portal. Walk-in symptomatic testing is available at Campus Health and Wellbeing.

Symptomatic students can report in their Daily Screener and test.

Symptomatic student employees should be excluded from work and test as soon as possible. Walk-in evaluations and testing are available at Campus Health and Wellbeing. Exclusion from work should continue until test results are obtained.

• If the student employee is unable to test or choosing not to test, exclusion should continue for 10 days.
• If the student employee tests negative and returns to work earlier than 10 days after the close contact, the employee should wear a face covering around others for 10 days following the close contact.
• CDPH recommends continuing exclusion and retesting in 1-2 days if testing negative with an antigen test, particularly if tested during the first 1-2 days of symptoms.

WEAR A MASK AND TEST ON OR AFTER DAY 5 OF YOUR EXPOSURE

Students who are exposed to COVID-19 should test five days after exposure and avoid exposing others by wearing a well-fitting mask for a total of 10 days, especially in indoor settings and when near those at higher risk for severe COVID-19 disease, per guidance from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). 

Watch for symptoms after an exposure. Symptoms may appear two to fourteen days after exposure to the virus. 

Students are strongly encouraged to get vaccinated or boosted.

Persons infected within the prior 90 days and who do not have symptoms do not need to be tested or quarantined unless symptoms develop. 

The following applies to asymptomatic student employees, regardless of vaccination status. Student employees who have had a close contact should test within three to five days after their last close contact. 

• Students should wear face coverings around others for a total of 10 days after exposure. 
• If an exposed employee develops symptoms, they should be excluded pending the results of a test. If they test positive they must follow isolation requirements.
• If an exposed employee who develops symptoms is unable to test or choosing not to test, they should be excluded until 10 days after the date of symptom onset.

Isolation orders are public health legal orders that separate those who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 from others to prevent spreading the infection. If you are in isolation, you should monitor your health and seek medical attention if your condition worsens or if you need help.

• Once you've uploaded a positive result or tested positive at CH&W, you will receive an email from COVID-19 Help with further instructions.
• Isolation can end after 5 full days if you've had no fever for the last 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medicine (like Tylenol or Ibuprofen) AND symptoms are improving, or no symptoms are present.
• If you want to leave the area to isolate in another location, please see instructions below under “Travel Guidelines”.

Stay at home.

• Do not leave your residence except for obtaining medical care or in the event of an emergency. Do not travel until isolation period has passed (see below section "Additional Support for all students: can I travel if I'm on county-mandated orders?"). Do not attend class, work, restaurants, grocery stores, or any public gathering or place.
• Do not have any visitors or contact with delivery people.
• Avoid sharing dishes, drinking glasses, cups, eating utensils, towels, or bedding with other people or pets. After using these items, wash them thoroughly with soap and water.

Monitor your health.

• Self-monitor body temperature and overall health and wellness. 
• Call Campus Health and Wellbeing at 805-756-1211 if you develop any worrisome symptoms of COVID-19 or have any other concerns.
• Call Cal Poly Counseling Services at (805) 756-2511 if you have any mental health concerns. Crisis care is available.
• Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department if you have emergency medical needs such as difficulty breathing, chest pressure, or confusion.

Wear a high-quality, well-fitting mask around others for a full 10 days.

• You must wear a well-fitting mask for 10 days, meaning that you will not be able to eat with others. The best mask is an N95.  A friend can pick these up for you on campus.

If you are at a higher risk of severe disease, such as asthma, heart disease, diabetes, or obesity, contact your medical provider and ask about treatment options.

Notify your close contacts that they have been exposed.

• Use the CDC guide to assess exposure risk. 
  • The infectious period for COVID-19 starts 2 days before your symptoms appear (or 2 days before your positive test if you did not have symptoms) and continues until the end of your isolation.
• Exposed contacts who are Cal Poly students should identify themselves on the Daily Screener for further instructions.

If you have in-person classes, labs or are employed on or off campus, please read guidance on the instructor notification of student absences process in your syllabi and report any illness to your employer.

Your isolation period:

• To calculate your isolation period, Day 0 is your first day of symptoms or the day of your positive test (if you are asymptomatic). Day 1 is the first full day after symptoms develop, or the first full day after your positive test if you do not experience symptoms. If you were initially asymptomatic when you tested positive, and then developed symptoms, your isolation period starts over. 

• Any other definition of isolation dates must be documented in writing by the SLO Public Health Department or the county in which you were tested. Please reply to your isolation email with documentation from the SLO Public Health Department attached for review.

COVID-19 Help will send an email regarding Isolation in Place (IIP). Remain in your room with the door closed as much as possible.

Per our local Public Health officials: 

• Wear a mask at all times in your room, unless you do not have any roommates. Ask a friend to obtain N95 masks for you on campus as they are the best mask.
• You are strongly encouraged to share the news with your roommates, so that everyone can take appropriate precautions.
• Keep your door to your room closed and windows open to circulate fresh air as much as possible.

The following exceptions are allowed while wearing a high-quality, well-fitted mask. Keep trips brief and then return directly to your room:  

• Use the common bathroom. If possible, avoid heavy traffic times.  Always keep your mask on except when brushing your teeth/brief showering.
• Pick up food on-campus after ordering on GrubHub. Eat in your room away from others.
• Pick up food outside your residence after being delivered by an off-campus restaurant or other delivery services. Eat in your room away from others.
• Use the laundry facilities in your building. If possible, avoid heavy traffic times.
• Sit outside, away from others to get fresh air.  You can go for a walk alone. Please wear your mask.

You are not permitted to: 

• Go to in-person classes, labs, or workplaces
• Leave the Cal Poly campus, except for an emergency evacuation. 
• Be with others in groups.
• Attend group events like religious services, outdoor concerts, and other gatherings that bring people together. 
• Utilize the Recreation Center. 
• Enter other residential communities.

This section pertains only to students who are in quarantine (must stay home) because of exposure amid high-risk circumstances. 

Per our local Public Health officials:

• Wear a mask at all times in your room, unless you do not have any roommates.   Ask a friend to obtain N95 masks for you on campus as they are the best mask.
• You are strongly encouraged to share the news with your roommates so that everyone can take appropriate precautions.
• Keep your door to your room closed and windows open as much as possible.

The following exceptions are allowed while wearing a high-quality, well-fitted mask. Keep trips brief and then return directly to your room:

• Use the common bathroom. If possible, avoid heavy traffic times.  Always keep your mask on except when brushing your teeth/brief showering.
• Pick up food on-campus after ordering on GrubHub. Eat in your room away from others.
• Pick up food outside your residence after being delivered by an off-campus restaurant or other delivery services. Eat in your room away from others.
• Use the laundry facilities in your building. If possible, avoid heavy traffic times.
• Sit outside, away from others to get fresh air.  You can go for a walk alone. Please wear your mask.

You are not permitted to:

• Go to in-person classes, labs, or workplaces
• Leave the Cal Poly campus, except for an emergency evacuation. 
• Be with others in groups.
• Attend group events like religious services, outdoor concerts, and other gatherings that bring people together. 
• Utilize the Recreation Center. 
• Enter other residential communities.

This section pertains only to students who are in quarantine (must stay home) because of exposure amid high-risk circumstances. 

• Remain in your residence with the door closed, ideally in a room by yourself.    
• You will be prohibited from visiting campus during this time for any reason except for testing or medical care. Your daily self-screening pass will be disabled throughout your quarantine and your pass will be yellow.  
• Food and essential supplies.  Consider using a delivery service such as Instacart.  Arrange a safe delivery.  A  County quarantine order prohibits you from visiting stores or restaurants.  If you need assistance beyond what your household members can provide, please call the SLO County Public Health Department at (805) 781-5500.   
• Please follow the SLO County Public Health Quarantine Instructions 
   

Health Services has a 24/7 after-hours nurse advice line to discuss any health-related concerns privately and confidentially: 805-756-1211

Counseling Services remains committed to supporting the well-being of all students during these challenging times. Visit the Counseling website for more information or call to schedule an appointment: 805-756-2511

Students may make arrangements — as like any other student who misses class due to illness — by coordinating directly with the faculty member to develop arrangements that allow them to receive credit for missed assignments or activities. While faculty are not obligated to do so, arrangements can include:

• A notetaker (while maintaining the confidentiality of the ill student)
• Virtual or makeup exams/classwork
• Other virtual opportunities to maintain engagement

The DRC can help with COVID situations when it affects a student's existing disability or if a student presents with Long COVID. If you continue to experience long-term symptoms that might be associated with your initial COVID diagnosis and would need to explore accommodations related to Long COVID, then please complete DRC’s Student Online Application found on the DRC website and submit documentation completed by your doctor or healthcare provider with the following information:

• A clear diagnosis or statement indicating Long COVID
• A description of your functional limitations associated with your diagnosis
• A description of severity level
• Any medication you might be taking to treat your symptoms, if applicable
• An estimated timeline for recovery

DRC medical documentation guidelines can also be found here.

DRC Contact Information:

Website: DRC Website

Location: Bldg 124 (Student Services, across from Spanos Stadium)

Disability Resource Center

Email: DRC@calpoly.edu

Phone: 805-756-1395

First-year college students with academic questions and concerns should contact the Mustang Success Center. Continuing students and incoming transfer students should contact their college advising center.