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By Karen Tomlinson, director of Student Health Services, and Greg Williams, director of Public Safety

Traditionally, a new year is a time that we reflect on the past and look forward to making positive changes for the future. Unfortunately, the virus that causes COVID-19 also "likes" to change.

What does this mean for our ¹û¶³´«Ã½ community? The greatest impact of these changes will be the requirement to quarantine based on immunization status and the length of both isolation and quarantine periods.

As a response to the ability of the virus to adapt and mutate, the CDC guidelines are also continually changing.

These new guidelines will affect our faculty, staff and students as we begin our spring 2022 semester.

On Dec. 28, 2021, the Georgia Department of Public Health updated its isolation and quarantine guidance, reducing the amount of minimum time required after infection or exposure.

A general summary of the updated guidelines is below.

¹û¶³´«Ã½ community members are encouraged to review the full documents and resources located on the Nighthawks Together webpage.

Isolation: If you test positive for COVID-19, everyone (regardless of vaccination status) must:

• Isolate at home for 5 days from the date symptoms first appeared or, if asymptomatic, the date of the positive test. Stay away from others in the household as much as possible during isolation.

• After 5 days, if you have no symptoms or your symptoms are resolving and you have not had a fever for more than 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication, you may end isolation. If symptoms are not improving or fever has not resolved, you should continue isolating until these criteria are met.
• After ending isolation, you should continue to wear a mask around others for 5 days.

Quarantine: If you have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 and you are:

• Boosted, or have become fully vaccinated within the last 6 months (Moderna or Pfizer vaccine) or within the last 2 months (J&J vaccine):

• • You do not need to quarantine at home.
  • You should wear a mask around others for 10 days.
  • If possible, get tested on day 5.
  • If you develop symptoms, get tested and isolate at home until test results are received, then proceed in accordance with the test results. 

• Unvaccinated, or became fully vaccinated more than 6 months ago (Moderna or Pfizer vaccine) or more than 2 months ago (J&J vaccine) and have not received a booster:

• • You must quarantine at home for 5 days. After that, continue to wear a mask around others for 5 additional days.
  • If possible, get tested on day 5. If you develop symptoms, get tested and isolate at home until test results are received, then proceed in accordance with the test results.

The pandemic remains active, and we strongly encourage everyone to continue the following practices:

• Self-screen for symptoms each day before coming to campus, including checking your temperature with a thermometer.
• Get vaccinated. We encourage everyone to get one of the proven safe and effective vaccines and get the booster shot when eligible.
• Wear a face covering inside campus buildings. We strongly encourage everyone to wear a face covering while inside campus facilities.
• Practice safe personal hygiene habits. Wash your hands often with warm water and soap or frequently use hand sanitizer. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.

Appointments are available at the ¹û¶³´«Ã½ Student Health Services on the Dahlonega and Gainesville campuses for all ¹û¶³´«Ã½ students who are exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19.

Asymptomatic testing is available at various campuses throughout the semester. Register online for surveillance testing.

Student Health Services will be offering first or second dose or booster Pfizer COVID vaccines on the Dahlonega and Gainesville campuses. See an updated list of COVID-19 vaccine clinics at ¹û¶³´«Ã½ and register on the Nighthawks Together webpage. Upcoming dates include Jan. 20 and Feb. 11 in Gainesville and Feb. 4 in Dahlonega.

Interested participants should bring their ¹û¶³´«Ã½ employee or student ID. A COVID vaccine card must also be presented if a COVID vaccine was previously received.

We need to use all of the resources available on our campuses to create the safest environment possible for our ¹û¶³´«Ã½ community.