Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resource Center
Overview
With the end of the federal Public Health Emergency for COVID-19, and following improved public health conditions, Georgetown has updated the university’s COVID-19 protocols:
- COVID-19 Vaccination: Georgetown strongly encourages but no longer requires students, faculty or staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Health professional students who have clinical placements with affiliated organizations (e.g., MedStar Health) still need to comply with their associated immunization requirements, including for COVID-19. We strongly recommend that all community members stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines and receive the latest booster or any new dose that becomes available and recommended by the CDC moving forward.
- Visitors: Visitors are not required to be vaccinated against COVID-19. There are no COVID-related protocols for building access, including in university libraries, recreational facilities and residential buildings, and for events.
- COVID-19 Testing: Free antigen and PCR testing for COVID-19 continues to be available to all community members as needed. Wastewater testing continues to be used to monitor COVID-19 transmission on our campuses.
- Masks: Wearing a mask is optional in university-owned and operated buildings and on university-sponsored public transportation (e.g., GUTS), as well as in university health facilities (e.g., Student Health Center) unless otherwise instructed by a clinician. Free high-quality masks continue to be available at entrances to most campus buildings. Everyone has the right to wear a mask whenever and wherever they wish on our campuses.
Georgetown’s Public Health team continues to monitor public health conditions and is available to provide individual support and guidance for COVID-19 and other public health-related concerns.
Public Health Guidance
COVID-19 remains circulating in the population. Some individuals are still at higher risk for serious complications because they have compromised immune systems, and the science regarding the long-term effects of infection (“Long COVID”) continues to evolve.
Every one of us makes choices that contribute to a safe and healthy environment. We can protect vulnerable community members by following the latest public health guidance:
- Stay up to date on COVID-19 vaccination.
- Consider wearing a mask around vulnerable members of the community when asked to.
- Know the signs and symptoms of COVID-19, report them when they occur, and don’t come to class or work when symptomatic.
- Get tested if you have symptoms consistent with COVID-19.
- Follow isolation requirements, including continuing to mask for the full 10 days after testing positive or being exposed.
The Public Health Care Navigation team is available to advise and support Georgetown community members on any COVID-19 or other public health concern. Don’t hesitate to contact the team at carenavigators@georgetown.edu.
If You Have Symptoms
When experiencing any symptoms, students, faculty and staff should stay home or in their campus residence; complete the COVID-19 Check-In survey through the GU360 mobile app or website; call the Student Health Center (if a student) or their physician, if needed; take a COVID-19 test; and not return to class or work until cleared by their physician or after a consultation with the Care Navigator team.
Georgetown will use information from this survey to provide health, isolation and testing guidance to anyone with symptoms or who may have had an exposure to COVID-19.
Students should follow their instructor’s policy for making up coursework, as needed, which may include attending class remotely or completing work by other means.
Faculty should follow their instructional continuity plan, as needed.
Staff/AAP employees should use sick leave following their department’s established call-in procedures or by submitting a request in GMS, based on your department’s established practice.
If You Are Exposed to Someone With COVID-19
In line with CDC guidance, please take the following actions:
- Wear a mask around others for ten days after the exposure.
- Get tested five days after your most recent exposure.
Stay home and get tested if you develop symptoms. Please report your symptoms to the Public Health team by completing the COVID-19 Symptom Check-In survey. If you receive a positive test result from a third-party provider (i.e., not from a Shield T3 test) or at-home antigen test, please report your result through the COVID-19 Test Result Submission form.
If You Test Positive for COVID-19
Isolation is required for all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, who have a confirmed positive COVID-19 test result or are diagnosed with COVID-19 by a health professional even if their test result is negative. Georgetown follows DC Department of Health guidance regarding isolation, which may change periodically.
Beginning in summer 2023, residential students who test positive for COVID-19 will be guided to isolate in place in their campus residence.
Students should follow their instructor’s policy for making up coursework, as needed, which may include attending class remotely or completing work by other means.
Faculty should follow their instructional continuity plan, as needed.
Staff/AAP employees should use sick leave following their department’s established call-in procedures or by submitting a request in GMS, based on your department’s established practice.
We recommend that anyone with COVID-19 who shares living space with others:
- Wear a properly-fitting, high-quality mask (e.g., N95, KN95) when around others in their residence.
- Stay in their own bedroom with their door closed, whenever possible.
- Avoid entering the bathroom when others are present, whenever possible.
- Disinfect the bathroom, kitchen and common surfaces as often as possible.
- Eat in separate rooms or outdoors, if possible.
- Avoid sharing personal items.
- Keep windows open and ventilate the room/house, if possible.
COVID-19 Vaccination
Georgetown University strongly encourages but does not require students, faculty, staff and visitors to receive all recommended vaccinations against COVID-19 following CDC guidance. Currently, experts and the CDC recommend everyone aged six years and older get one updated (“bivalent”) Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to be up to date, even if you have received the older series or had COVID-19.
Other recommendations, including for additional doses, may vary based on factors like age and underlying health conditions. COVID-19 vaccine recommendations may be updated over time.
Health profession students (e.g., medical, nursing) and university employees affiliated with healthcare institutions may have vaccination requirements (e.g., for COVID-19 and influenza) that are different from the general Georgetown population.
COVID-19 vaccines will likely remain fully covered by your insurance and available at your doctor’s office and local pharmacies. Visit Vaccines.gov to find a location near you, or reach out to the Public Health team at hoyavaxa@georgetown.edu if you have questions or would like assistance accessing COVID-19 vaccination.
Masks
Wearing a mask is optional in university-owned or operated buildings and university-sponsored public transportation, as well as in University health facilities (e.g., Student Health Center) unless otherwise instructed by a clinician.
Individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 or who have been exposed to someone who has tested positive must wear a mask when around others for the full 10 days from the date of exposure or infection, following DC Health and CDC guidance.
Everyone has the right to wear a mask whenever and wherever they wish on our campuses. If individuals choose to wear a mask, we recommend wearing a properly-fitted, high-quality mask (e.g., N95, KN95, KF94) because cloth masks and masks with a vent or valve do not sufficiently reduce the transmission of the virus from exhaled droplets and aerosol particles that might contain the virus.
Free high-quality masks continue to be available at entrances to most campus buildings. If you see empty or near-empty mask supplies at building entrances on the Main and Medical Center campuses, please contact Facilities Work Management at 202-687-3432, and the stand will be replenished. At the Law Center, please contact Facilities Management at 202-662-9330 or email lawfacilitiesmgmt@georgetown.edu for assistance.
Contact Tracing and Care Navigation
Georgetown’s Public Health team – the equivalent of our own municipal health department – coordinates contact tracing, care navigation, public health screening and many other services such as isolation.
Contact tracing is an important public health measure used to limit the spread of communicable diseases. The aim of contact tracing is to stop the chain of transmission by guiding people who test positive to isolate, and identifying and notifying their close contacts so they may take extra precautions as needed.
University community members should cooperate with Georgetown, District of Columbia and other state, local and federal public health authorities in their public health monitoring and intervention efforts.
Privacy
Georgetown will continue to comply with all applicable privacy, confidentiality and public health laws relating to collection and maintenance of testing and other health-related records. The University recognizes the importance of protecting private health information and will protect faculty, staff, student and visitor privacy by limiting what sensitive information is collected, who has access to it, how it is used and how long it is retained to the extent possible while protecting public health.
Contact Us
If you have additional questions about Georgetown University’s COVID-19 health and safety measures, please email carenavigators@georgetown.edu.