Public Health and University Operations

The public health guidance below has been developed to protect the health and safety of the Georgetown University community. We continue to monitor public health conditions globally, nationally, locally and on campus, as well as any new guidance from the CDC and the DC Department of Health, and will provide updates when needed. Led by Dr. Ranit Mishori, Georgetown’s Vice President and Chief Public Health Officer, the University’s Public Health team – the equivalent of our own municipal health department – coordinates COVID-19 testing, contact tracing and care navigation, public health screening and many other services such as isolation.

Wearing a mask is optional in University-owned or operated buildings, including academic buildings, research laboratories, libraries, offices, dining facilities, residential buildings and fitness centers, with limited exceptions, including:

• Individuals must wear a mask in University health care facilities (e.g., Student Health Center, CAPS, flu vaccination clinics).
• Individuals must wear a mask while on university-sponsored public transportation (e.g., GUTS buses, shuttles, vans).
• Individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 or 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, consistent with DC Health guidance and CDC guidance.
• Individuals with exemptions or accommodation plans that include enhanced public health measures should continue to abide by those measures, as currently in place.

Where required, we recommend wearing a properly-fitted, high-quality mask (e.g., N95, KN95, KF94). Individuals may not wear a cloth mask, or a mask with a vent or valve, because these masks 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.

Everyone has the right to wear a mask whenever and wherever they wish on our campuses. To help foster a respectful and inclusive environment, the Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship (CNDLS) has developed this teaching and learning guide, and the Department of Human Resources has developed this workplace guide.

Faculty and staff who believe that this policy may impact their health due to a specific medical condition may seek an appropriate accommodation from IDEAA, and students may seek an appropriate accommodation from the Academic Resource Center.

Individuals who choose to wear an N95 can find more information about voluntary usage of N95s on the OSHA website. If you have questions about the use of N95s, please contact the Office of Environmental Health and Safety at (202) 687-4712.

Students, faculty and staff must follow Georgetown University’s COVID-19 Testing Protocol, including symptomatic and exposure testing requirements.

All students, faculty and staff may access on-demand, free COVID-19 PCR testing via Shield T3 vending machines at the Main Campus, Medical Center, Law Center and School of Continuing Studies (location map). Community members may also choose to schedule a test with a third-party healthcare provider. Payment for third-party testing is your responsibility, and you must submit your test result through the COVID-19 Test Result Submission Form in a timely manner, consistent with the University’s testing requirements.

Georgetown University requires students, faculty, staff and visitors to have received a primary series (e.g., two doses of an mRNA vaccine) and, when eligible, an additional dose of a COVID-19 vaccine (first booster), or to have an approved medical or religious exemption.

This requirement applies to:

• All faculty and staff, including teleworking employees;
• Students enrolled in one or more in-person courses;
• Students enrolled in any online or hybrid courses that have an in-person component on campus or at an off-campus location used by Georgetown for course instruction (including but not limited to students enrolled in an online nursing program who will complete an Objective Clinical Intensive (OCI)); and
• Visitors to University-owned, operated or leased buildings in the United States.

We strongly recommend getting the “bivalent” booster when eligible and staying up to date with your COVID-19 vaccinations following CDC guidance.

The University’s COVID-19 vaccination requirement will continue to be updated as public health conditions evolve.

When experiencing any symptoms, students, faculty and staff should stay home or in their campus residence; complete the COVID-19 Symptom Check-In survey through the GU360 mobile app or website; call the Student Health Center (if a student) or their physician, if needed; schedule 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.

Students, faculty and staff should also complete the COVID-19 Symptom Check-In survey upon exposure to a known COVID-19 case.

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.

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.

University community members must cooperate with Georgetown, District of Columbia and other state, local and federal public health authorities in their public health monitoring efforts, including by providing information regarding those with whom they have come in contact prior to testing positive for COVID-19.

Georgetown will continue to follow DC Department of Health guidance regarding isolation, which may change periodically.

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.

Every one of us makes choices that contribute to a safe and healthy environment – no matter where we are. When we each play our part, our collective power can help slow the spread of COVID-19. That’s why we’ve launched the Every Hoya, Everywhere campaign to remind Hoyas that together, we can make a difference.

Every Hoya can stop the spread and protect vulnerable community members by:

• Being up to date on COVID-19 vaccination.
• Considering wearing a mask around vulnerable members of the community when asked to.
• Knowing the signs and symptoms of COVID-19, checking for them regularly and reporting them when they occur.
• Not coming to class or work when having symptoms consistent with COVID-19.
• Following isolation requirements, including continuing to mask for the full 10 days after testing positive or being exposed.
• Washing your hands (for the full 20 seconds!) or using hand sanitizer regularly.

Indoor events and meetings are permitted on campus, including with visitors, provided that event organizers, meeting hosts and visitors follow the University’s visitor vaccination requirement and process. Visitors are required to have received a primary series and, when eligible, an additional dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

With limited exceptions, visitors are not permitted in Main Campus residential buildings or Main Campus, Law Center and Medical Center libraries and recreational facilities at this time.

The University may limit capacity in certain large indoor venues at any time (e.g., Gaston Hall, McDonough Arena).

Please visit the University’s Event and Visitor Guidelines page for more information.

Domestic University-related travel is permitted, and should be conducted in accordance with all Business Travel and Entertainment policies.

International University-related travel is permitted. Please refer to the International Travel Policy for guidelines on University-related international travel.

As always, travelers must stay apprised of, and comply with, public health and travel regulations and guidance in place (especially regarding isolation) both at their destination and upon their return, with the understanding that such regulations and guidance continue to change periodically.

For more information, please visit the University’s Travel Guidance webpage.

The university has developed a standard style for signage for the Every Hoya Everywhere campaign to ensure that all campaign assets are consistent and eye-catching. Several signs have been created for you to download and share.

On the first business day of each week, the University notifies the community of the prior week’s testing results of positive cases on campus and among affiliated faculty, staff and students through a public health alert. To receive the public health alert, subscribe to Daily COVID-19 Updates.

Georgetown will continue to comply with all applicable privacy, confidentiality and public health laws relating to collection and maintenance of vaccination, 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.

Individuals who fail to comply with the University’s public health guidelines could endanger themselves or others. Serious or persistent noncompliance may result in ongoing suspension of access to campus and University facilities, and corrective or disciplinary actions and sanctions under the procedures set forth in campus student codes of conduct or professionalism, the Faculty Responsibilities Code, and Human Resources policies, as applicable.