Dear Students,
We hope you are enjoying the winter break, and we look forward to welcoming you back to the Hilltop this month. We’re writing to provide important information about the Spring 2022 move-in, including the arrival testing process for residential students, and to share how the Omicron surge may impact your residential experience as you consider when to schedule your move-in this month. Please carefully review the information below and submit the move-in form via Hoya Housing as soon as possible, but no later than this Friday, January 7.
As President DeGioia shared in his December 29 message, residential students will be able to move into their on-campus residences beginning next Tuesday, January 11, unless they have been approved to move in earlier, and may choose to move in later in January, given that classes, events and other campus programming will be held virtually and dining will be grab-and-go through January 30.
As I mentioned in my message earlier today, we are currently experiencing an unprecedented surge of COVID-19 cases locally and nationally because of the Omicron variant, with test positivity rates in DC and in our University community near or above 20%. We have a layered public health approach in place, which we will continue to adjust as we respond to the significant challenges presented by the Omicron surge, including adjustments to our isolation protocol. Given the extraordinarily high transmissibility of Omicron, we also expect there will be operational and staffing impacts on campus this month, as other sectors of our economy are already experiencing, and we have developed plans to respond to different scenarios.
While we have taken steps to increase the number of isolation rooms we have available on campus, we will adjust our isolation protocol if we continue to experience a surge of cases on campus. With the possibility of rapid and exponential spread of the Omicron variant, students should be prepared to isolate two to a room in the hotel, or in their on-campus residence, which means COVID-positive and negative students may need to be housed together in the same room or apartment, because we may not be able to provide isolation space at the Georgetown University Hotel and Conference Center for all residential students who test positive if we continue to have a significant positivity rate on campus. In addition, we strongly recommend you bring over-the-counter medicines, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen; a thermometer; tissues; and other supplies, in case you need them.
We urge you to consider these factors when making your decision regarding the best time for your return to campus. As a reminder, you are not required to move back to campus on January 11, unless there are specific circumstances that require you to return by then.
While this is an unpredictable virus, current projections are that the Omicron surge may peak in our area in mid-January, with the rate of transmission declining by the end of the month. Our extended move-in time is intended to provide students flexibility as they prepare for in-person learning to resume. We’re hopeful that we are reaching an inflection point in the pandemic and that, once this current surge subsides, the virus will have less of an impact on our daily lives.
Move-In Dates
You need to indicate your move-in date by submitting the Spring 2022 Return to Campus form via Hoya Housing by Friday, January 7, which will help inform our planning efforts and facilitate a smoother check-in process for you.
You must move in Monday-Friday when the University’s COVID-19 testing sites are open.
Testing site hours are posted on our COVID-19 Testing Protocol page, with special hours noted below:
- Monday, January 17 (CLOSED for MLK Day)
- Friday, January 28, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Sunday, January 30, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Please follow the directions below to complete the arrival testing process.
If you need to arrive after hours or over the weekend, please go directly to your room, keep your mask on at all times in indoor public places on campus and when around others, go to the front desk of the Georgetown University Hotel and Conference Center in the Leavey Center the next morning to pick up an antigen test, along with instructions for taking the test and reporting the result, and schedule and take a PCR test as soon as the testing site is open.
Pre-Travel Testing
If you are traveling to DC from outside the DC, Maryland and Virginia region, please take a PCR or antigen test within 24-48 hours prior to your departure, if possible.
- Please email the test result to covid19-test-results@georgetown.edu.
- If you receive a positive result, isolate where you are, and do not travel to the DC region until you complete the isolation period.
Arrival Testing Process
Please follow the steps below to complete the arrival testing process:
- Select a move-in date by completing the Spring 2022 Return to Campus form via Hoya Housing.
- Schedule a PCR test at the Healey Family Student Center (HFSC) or Leavey Center testing site via the One Medical app or website for your move-in date. Please schedule your test as soon as possible.
- If you’ve tested positive for COVID-19 in the 90 days prior to arrival, you are exempt from PCR testing but will need to take an antigen test (see Step 3).
- If you’ve received a positive test result from a third-party provider (i.e., not One Medical) or from an at-home test within the last 90 days that you haven’t shared with Georgetown yet, please email the test result to covid19-test-results@georgetown.edu.
- When you arrive on campus, proceed directly to the check-in table at the HFSC or Leavey Center testing site, where you will receive a rapid antigen test and instructions for completing it and reporting your results.
- Take your PCR test.
- Take your rapid antigen test. If it is positive, you will receive guidance on isolation and next steps. If it is negative, you may proceed to move into your on-campus residence.
Mask Distribution
At the check-in table, you will be able to pick up free N95s for your use on campus. Everyone must wear a mask in indoor public places on campus and should wear a properly-fitted, high-grade mask (e.g., N95, KN95, KF94). 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 Georgetown’s Office of Environmental Health and Safety at (202) 687-4712.
If you have any public-health related questions, please email Georgetown’s Care Navigator team at covidcarenavigator@georgetown.edu. If you have any housing-related questions, please contact residentialliving@georgetown.edu.
As President DeGioia shared earlier today, we are confident that our community will continue to support and care for one another as we respond to this moment. This is a community-wide effort that will require patience, flexibility, and kindness from each of us as we rise to meet this unusual situation.
Sincerely,
Ranit Mishori, M.D., MHS, FAAFP
Professor of Family Medicine, Vice President and Chief Public Health Officer
Jeanne Lord, Ed.D.
Interim Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students