Important Quarantine and Isolation information for off-campus undergraduates

To undergraduate students who reside off-campus –

This email contains important guidance about quarantine and isolation for COVID-19 as relates to the fall semester. Please read the entire message.

Quarantine and Isolation Locations for Off-Campus Students

Wake Forest will follow CDC guidelines for quarantine (when a student has been exposed to COVID) and isolation (when a student tests positive for COVID). For off-campus students, including those in University-sponsored housing at Crowne Apartments and Deacon Station, typically this means that as long as the student has access to a private bedroom and a bathroom that only they will use, their medical provider may determine they can do their isolation or quarantine in their current residence, following some basic CDC guidelines:

Eat in separate rooms or areas than other residents

Do not share personal items with other residents

Wash your hands often

Clean high touch surfaces

Wear a mask when around others at all times

Do not use public transportation

A student who is asked to isolate may also choose to isolate elsewhere, such as their permanent address, that meets the CDC guidelines for isolation. However, they are not required to relocate from their off-campus residence unless they are directed to do so by a medical provider.

You may be in a living situation where you have a roommate, housemate, or family member who needs to quarantine or isolate. It will be especially important to keep the quarantine/isolated person separated from the rest of the household; in other words, do not socialize, eat meals together, or spend time in common areas. The CDC has information on what to do if a housemate becomes ill.

Maintain Good Hygiene Practices in Your Residence

It is always good practice to keep your living spaces as clean as possible. Please see the CDC’s cleaning and disinfecting guidelines and regularly clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces in your dwelling.

We also recommend all students do the following as part of normal good hygiene practices:

Wash your hands frequently with soap and water or use a hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not readily available.

Limit your exposure to crowded public places.

Follow the citywide mask mandate and wear a face mask whenever you are indoors in public spaces or with people with whom you do not share a residence.

Monitor yourself for symptoms of COVID-19. If you don’t feel well, stay at home.

Avoid others that you know are sick.

Ensure Your Residence Has Needed Supplies

You may wish to have a supply of items you might need in case you have to quarantine or isolate in your residence:

Extra hand sanitizer, cloth face masks, thermometer, cleaning supplies, small first aid kit (Band-Aids, antibiotic ointment, over-the-counter pain medicine, over-the-counter cold medicine), feminine hygiene products, and a good supply of prescribed medications that are taken regularly.

In this kit, you might also want to include a supply of replenishing drinks such as Gatorade and food that you could eat without a lot of preparation (soup, crackers, granola bars, etc.), as well as other supplies (toilet paper, detergent, soap, disinfecting wipes or surface cleaners, etc.) that you might need in the event you became ill and needed to stay at home for a time.

Resources Available to Off-Campus Students

There is an Off-Campus COVID resources page with information we hope you will find helpful.

Thank you for your continued assistance in protecting the health and safety of the Wake Forest community.

Best –