COVID-19 Employee Resources

Faculty and staff must self-monitor for symptoms each day before arriving on campus. Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever or chills, new cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, fatigue/muscle body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion/runny nose, nausea/vomiting, or diarrhea that are unexplained or different from a known health condition. It is important to remember that individuals may experience only very mild symptoms and still test positive for COVID-19.

If you have any symptoms - even mild symptoms - please do NOT report to work. Notify your manager or department head that you are home with symptoms and cannot report to work on campus.  If you start to experience symptoms while at work on campus, please go home. In either case, contact your primary care provider for guidance and testing instructions.

Symptomatic Testing:

• The College is offering rapid antigen testing in Farley Field House, Monday – Friday from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm for faculty and staff who are symptomatic and concerned they may have COVID-19.  You do not need an appointment.  You must enter Farley Field House using the South entrance marked with signage specifically for symptomatic antigen testing.  Do not enter any other buildings on campus.   If you test negative, you still need to return and stay home until symptoms significantly improve. If you are unable to use campus antigen testing for any reason, you will need to stay home and obtain external testing on your own.  Do not send test results to your manager or department head and you are not required to report negative results to human resources.
• If you test negative using an antigen test (Farley Field House or at home self test) or an external PCR test, but your symptoms do not quickly improve or worsen after 3 days, please continue to stay home and contact Mary Cote in human resources (mcote@bowdoin.edu or 725-3033) for additional guidance.
• If you test positive using an antigen test (Farley Field House or at home self-test) or externally administered PCR test., stay home and contact Mary Cote in human resources (mcote@bowdoin.edu or 725-3033) immediately for guidance and next steps.
• PLEASE NOTE: If you have any symptoms of COVID-19, do NOT PCR test in Farley Field House. 

If you are fully vaccinated and boosted, and you do not have any symptoms:

• • You may work on campus as normal, but you must wear a mask at all times in public and on campus for 10 days and test on day 5 after the exposure.
  • As long as you are symptom-free, and depending on when day 5 falls, you can either rely on your regular PCR testing in Farley on Mondays or Thursdays (8:00 am – 4:00 pm) for this purpose, or you can use the antigen testing available at the South entrance in Farley Monday – Friday, 11:00 am to 1:00 pm.
  • If day 5 falls over the weekend, test on Monday.

If you are fully vaccinated but not boosted, or you are partially vaccinated or completely unvaccinated:

• You must stay home in quarantine for 5 full days. After 5 days, you will need a negative antigen test to return to work on campus.

• • Advise your manager and Mary Cote in human resources (mcote@bowdoin.edu or 725-3033) that you may have been or were exposed to COVID-19 and are not fully vaccinated or are unvaccinated due to an approved vaccine exemption for guidance.
  • Mary Cote in human resources will provide you with an eMed antigen test and the instructions for its use. The eMed antigen tests are observed tests taken via the NAVICA app, and the results are available to you and HR immediately following the test. Provided that test result is negative, and you remain symptom-free, you may return to work on campus after your 5-day quarantine period.

1. When does the Spring 2022 testing for all employees begin?
   The spring testing for all employees begins on Monday, January 10, 2022. All faculty and staff working on campus must test once each week until further notice. Faculty and staff with previously approved vaccine exemptions must test twice each week.
   
   
2. Where is the COVID-19 testing center this semester?
   The testing center is in Farley Field House. Employees entering the Field House for PCR testing should use the main entrance. Employees who need an antigen test (on day 5 after being exposed to someone with COVID-19) should use the South entrance on the back of the Field House, proceeding to the right past the PCR testing exit door. Masks are required.
   
   
3. What is an appropriate mask?
   Only surgical, KN95, or equivalent (N95, KF-94) masks are acceptable on the Bowdoin campus. Cloth masks are no longer approved for use at the College. Masks are required at all times in indoor settings except when eating or in private offices. Masks must also be worn inside college vehicles carrying more than one person.  Surgical masks are available at no cost to members of the Bowdoin community and may be obtained at the OneCard office on the ground floor of Coles Tower and at the testing center in Farley Field House.
   
   Effective January 12, 2022, the Town of Brunswick requires masks inside public buildings (e.g., grocery stores, gas stations, restaurants, etc.).

4. What are the hours of the Farley Field House testing center? 
   PCR Testing: Beginning January 24, the Farley Field House testing center’s main entrance will be open for PCR testing between 8:00 am – 4:00 pm on Monday and Thursdays. YOU DO NOT NEED a reservation in CampusGroups for testing. 
   
   Antigen Testing: Beginning January 11, Farley Field House antigen testing will be open Monday – Friday between 11:00 am – 1:00 pm using the South entrance on the back of the building. Do not use the main entrance for antigen testing.

5. Since the College is no longer supplying antigen tests to employees on a weekly basis, how can I obtain one?
   Beginning January 15, our medical insurance carrier will reimburse employees for the cost of tests purchased at local retail pharmacies (e.g., Walgreens, Walmart, CVS, etc.). If you have mild symptoms or you have been a close contact of a person who has tested positive for COVID-19, you may antigen test at the South entrance to Farley Field House, Monday – Friday between 11:00 am – 1:00 pm.                                 

6. How do I know what days I am supposed to test?
   Employees may test on either Mondays or Thursdays, but must test once every week. Faculty and staff with a previously approved vaccine exemption must test twice per week - on both Mondays and Thursdays.
   
   
7. What kinds of COVID-19 testing does the College use and/or accept?
   The College will accept either a PCR or antigen test result, though a confirmatory PCR test may be required together with an antigen test in certain circumstances.
   
   
8. Do I get paid for the time it takes to be tested?
   Hourly staff will be paid for the time it takes to test on campus, including if their test falls on a day they are not regularly scheduled to work.
   
   
9. What if I need to change my testing day?
   If your work schedule does not have you on campus on Monday, please test on Thursday. Again, there is no need to register a change in your testing day as long as you test once per week.
   
   
10. If I have questions regarding the Spring 2022 COVID-19 testing protocols or procedures, who do I contact?
    Contact covidtsa@bowdoin.edu.
    
    
11. I am fully vaccinated and planning to go on vacation, so I will miss my regular testing day. How do I resume testing when I get back? 
    If you have been away for vacation (or other reasons), test on the next available testing day (Monday or Thursday). No reservations are necessary.
    
    
12. I am a new employee, and my first day of work falls on a day other than Monday or Thursday; what should I do?

• First, please be sure to load your vaccination information into Workday as soon as possible. 
• Test on the first available testing day (Monday or Thursday) after you begin work and have your Bowdoin OneCard. Review the information on what to expect at the testing center and how to collect a nasal swab. 
• You will receive information from CareEvolve about how to register with them so that you will be able to retrieve your testing results.    
• Join your regular testing schedule the following week.
  
  If you have specific questions, ask your manager or email covidtsa@bowdoin.edu for assistance with navigating your first test at the College.

13. What if I test positive?  
    
    For Broad PCR tests:

• The ordering physician from Mid Coast Hospital or human resources will contact you as soon as possible. The ordering physician will provide follow-up care instructions and notify your primary care provider.
• Mary Cote in human resources will follow up with you and mail you two eMed/NAVICA antigen tests and the instructions for their use.
• You must stay home in isolation for 5 full days after the date you tested positive (day 0).  After 5 days, if you have no symptoms or your symptoms have significantly improved, or on day 7, if they have not, you may use one of the eMed antigen tests.  If negative, you may return to work on campus and release yourself from isolation. IMPORTANT:  You must be masked at all times in public and on campus for an additional 5 days after your initial isolation period ends.  If you need to remove your mask to eat or drink on campus, you must be socially distanced from other faculty and staff.
• If after 5 – 7 full days in isolation your symptoms have not significantly improved, or you have continued to test positive on day 5 or by the end of day 7, remain in isolation for the complete 10 days and contact Mary Cote in Human resources for direction on testing requirements to return to work on campus.
  
  For rapid antigen tests or another external test you have received that returns a positive result:

• Contact Mary Cote (mcote@bowdoin.edu or 725-3033) and your primary care physician.  Mary will work with you on the isolation and testing protocol outlined above.

14.  What if I test positive with no symptoms?
    If you test positive, even if asymptomatic, you must stay home in isolation as indicated by College policy. If you can work from home, you may do so. If you are not able to work from home, HR will work with you and your manager to determine pay (i.e., sick time). 
    
    
15.  Does the College conduct contact tracing for positive cases identified on campus?
    Starting with the spring semester, the College will no longer conduct individual campus contact tracing for each positive case identified. HR will advise the positive faculty or staff member to notify any individual they believe is a close contact (a cumulative 15 minutes over a 24-hour period, closer than 6 feet and unmasked). Anyone who is concerned about being a close contact or notified as such is welcome to test after 5 days using the antigen testing available in Farley Field House Mon. – Fri. (11:00 am to 1:00 pm) and should also continue their regular weekly PCR testing on campus.
    
    
16.  Should I continue PCR testing on campus after I have tested positive and have been cleared from isolation?
    No. If you have tested positive for COVID-19 and then subsequently been cleared from isolation, you will not participate in the weekly PCR testing on campus for 30 days from the date you tested positive.
    
    
17. What if I get a notice that my COVID-19 test is inconclusive? 
    An inconclusive test is one where the results cannot be determined as negative or positive.  Mary Cote in human resources will contact you and provide guidance and next steps.  You will be asked to test again on campus as soon as possible or instructed to use an observed eMed BinaxNow antigen test, the results of which will be reported through the NAVICA app.
    
    
18. I've received my test results, but they are "invalid," what does that mean?
    “Invalid” means there was not enough sample on the swab to be tested. In most cases, this is due to not blowing your nose before testing or not swabbing adequately. Be sure to blow your nose prior to arrival at the test center, and be sure that the swab stays in contact with the lining of your nostrils to limit the possibility of invalid test results.
    
    
19. What should I do if I receive an "invalid" test result?
    You should receive an email from covidtsa@bowdoin.edu asking you to retest, even if it is not on your scheduled testing day.
    
    
20. How do I record my time if I need to isolate or quarantine?
    For day-to-day absences due to illness, employees must use their sick time. If no sick time is available, vacation time must be used. Awards of emergency sick time will be considered for employees whose sick and/or vacation balances are depleted. Please contact Mary Cote (mcote@bowdoin.edu or 725-3033) for additional information.
    
    
21. What time do I record in Workday if my spouse/partner or child is sick (non-COVID-19 illness), and I need to remain home? 
    The College’s family care absence policy provides up to 40 hours of job-protected leave per calendar year. The time can be drawn from your sick or vacation balances as “Family Care Absence–Sick” or “Family Care Absence–Vacation.” If both balances are depleted, it can be taken as unpaid time “Family Care Absence–Unpaid.” This allowance can also be used for illness or medical appointments where your presence is required for a spouse/partner, child, or parent.
    
    
22. I need verification of a negative COVID-19 test before and/or after I travel. Can I use the College testing program to get these tests?
    If your regularly scheduled test falls on a date that is appropriate for your travel, then you can use your Broad test results. However, this should not be relied upon due to the variability of when results are received. If you are returning from international travel, please follow current CDC recommendations and guidelines for testing 3 to 5 days after your return. The College requests that employees wear a mask until negative results are received from your self-administered antigen test OR an external test taken 3 to 5 days after your return.
    
    
23. One of my colleagues has received their test results already; why haven't I?
    The test results are released by the lab on a rolling basis, so some results may be received sooner than others. You should expect to receive your test results within 24 hours after the day you test. 
    
    
24. My child’s school/classroom or daycare has announced a temporary closure due to COVID-19, or my child must stay home in quarantine, and I need to be home to provide care.  How do I proceed?
    The College will provide a one-time award of up to 7 paid days off (up to 56 hours) for a sudden public school or daycare closure in connection with COVID-19 or when your child must stay home in quarantine due to a COVID-19 exposure when other childcare plans cannot be made. This policy will be in effect from September 1, 2021, to June 30, 2022.  All benefits-eligible faculty and staff are eligible. Eligible employees must make the request to Mary Cote in human resources (mcote@bowdoin.eduor (207) 725-3033), and a notice from the school/daycare of the emergency closure or required quarantine must be provided in order to approve the request. If additional time is needed it must be taken as vacation time. Managers are also asked to work with employees on altered work schedules during times of public school/daycare closures.
    
    
25. I am fully vaccinated and returning to work full-time in my office setting. My position requires me to work more directly with the community, and even though they are vaccinated, this makes me very uncomfortable.
    You will be expected to fulfill the essential functions of your position on campus. If your physician indicates you have a medical necessity for accommodation, please contact human resources (mcote@bowdoin.edu or 207-725-3033) for additional guidance.
    
    
26. Can I receive my COVID-19 booster shot on paid time?
    COVID-19 booster shots are available at local Walgreens, Walmart, and CVS pharmacies, as well as the pharmacies within Hannaford and Shaw’s. Call ahead to check vaccine availability and whether appointments are needed. The College will allow hourly employees to use up to two hours of paid time to receive their COVID-19 booster immunization for appointments that can’t be scheduled outside of normal working hours.