The University of South Florida (USF) has announced a complete return to full operations by June 28.  Here is what this means for USF Health faculty, staff, residents, and students:

1. As current and future health professionals, all USF Health faculty, residents, staff, and students are expected to be vaccinated for COVID-19.
2. All faculty and staff will work from their on-campus, lab, clinical or administrative workspaces by June 28 unless otherwise noted in approved Operational Efficiency Action Plans (OEAPs) for their Department, Division, or Office. These OEAPs have been formed and approved over the course of the last year and specify arrangements for employees working in hybrid or fully remote environments.  Employees who are not familiar with their department’s OEAP should reach out to their supervisor. Department and Division leaders who have questions regarding the status of their OEAPs can contact Jacki Reyes Hull at jreyeshull@usf.edu. (Deadline to submit MCOM and SVP office OEAPs is June 7.)
3. All students enrolled in in-person programs are expected to return to campus to resume regular didactic classes, laboratory activities, seminars, meetings and other in-person learning, research and patient care activities as required by their programs by June 28.
4. Everyone must complete the Return to Campus Assessment for the summer semester (distributed May 10^th via email and available on the my.usf.edu website) and for the fall semester when issued. It is important to know people’s plans regarding their return to campus.  Please note that you will be able to change your status if your plans change.
5. Per CDC guidelines, USF Health’s clinical areas will maintain more rigorous health protection protocols than our non-patient facing academic and administrative areas. Entry screening to our patient care buildings is still required along with protective masks and social distancing.  Faculty, residents, staff, and students in patient-facing settings must continue to follow any screening protocols in place, and mask and distancing guidelines as per the facility they are working in.  Employees who work in non-patient access areas of patient care buildings, such as the administrative areas of CMS or STC, must continue wearing a mask and participate in entry screening until they arrive at their work areas.  Once they reach their workplace, they should follow the protocols in item #7.
6. The USF Health practice plan will begin issuing voluntary ID badge stickers indicating vaccinated status for faculty, staff, and trainees in patient care settings. We anticipate extending these badge stickers to all our faculty, staff, and trainees that wish to demonstrate their vaccine status even in non-patient care areas.
7. The following protocols are effective immediately:

• • Personal or business-related domestic travel no longer requires approval by the COVID-19 Task Force. Vaccinated travelers can travel freely in the United States. However, unvaccinated travelers must continue to comply with CDC guidance requiring self-isolation for seven days (if a negative COVID test result is obtained on day six post-travel) or for ten days without a test.  Unvaccinated employees are strongly encouraged to wear face coverings when traveling and in contact with other people. Self-isolation time will be deducted from accumulated PTO.
  • International travel for USF Health employees is still subject to CDC guidelines and university restrictions, review and approval.  Please use this USF request form: https://veoci.com/v/p/120679/workflow/ru7xegcsjzxn
  • Meetings and events at USF Health classrooms and facilities no longer require approval by the COVID Task Force.  Again, vaccinated individuals need not wear face coverings, nor socially distance in non-patient facing areas of the USF Health campus. However, unvaccinated people are expected to continuously wear face coverings and socially distance at such meetings and events.
  • Social distancing tape, floor decals, etc. are to be removed from administrative areas, but will be maintained in patient care areas.  Water fountains in administrative areas are to be “unwrapped” and hand dryers in bathrooms re-enabled. Hand sanitizers remain widely available, and all employees are encouraged to use them frequently.
  • Faculty who teach in classroom settings are expected to be vaccinated. Unvaccinated faculty are expected to mask when teaching in group settings.  Unvaccinated faculty, staff and students are encouraged to undergo weekly testing to confirm their continued negative Covid-19 status.
  • Vaccinated individuals need not wear masks, and are free to use group facilities (e.g., lunchrooms) in non-patient care areas. Unvaccinated individuals are expected to wear face coverings at all times except when eating or drinking during a break, and continue to socially distance and refrain from entering rooms where unmasked individuals are gathered.
  • In the near future, all patient facing staff may be required to show proof of vaccination, or face progressive disciplinary action. All patient facing employees are thus strongly urged to complete their vaccination series as soon as practicable.
  • Faculty or supervisors who become aware of a positive case or a possible exposure should report that information immediately to assesscovid@usf.edu. Any unvaccinated USF Health individual known to have been exposed to a positive case will need to report their exposure to the USF Health Infection Control Team (MHA@usf.edu or 813-974-3163) to ensure adequate contact tracing and isolation off campus.

All employees are encouraged to take time to review Human Resources’ recently launched safe return website as well as the information provided on USF’s Coronavirus webpage for returning to campus. Please also be sure to communicate with students on college-specific plans to return to in-person classes and the clinical environment.

Your ongoing resilience and continued collaboration are greatly appreciated as we begin implementing our next steps for a successful return to campus.

USF Health Leadership