Current masking guidance
The University strongly recommends face masks be worn indoors on campuses in counties designated by the CDC to have high COVID-19 Community Levels.
Even on campuses in counties with low or medium COVID-19 Community Levels, the University encourages anyone who wishes to wear mask indoors on these campuses to continue to do so.
Face masks are required in facilities providing health care and in other locations where required by law, including indoors at the College of Medicine, Penn State Health locations, University Health Services and other campus health care centers.
Individuals are expected to review campus policies and procedures and local municipal ordinances related to COVID-19 mitigation. Per CDC guidance, individual municipalities, businesses and other organizations may set their own masking and physical distancing expectations.
In addition to personal actions, Penn State has implemented thorough testing and contact tracing programs as part of its efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 at its campuses and neighboring local communities.
Coronavirus vaccine
Penn State strongly encourages students, faculty and staff to stay current with their COVID-19 vaccinations and to share their vaccination status with the University as soon as possible.
Students at University Park, Commonwealth Campuses and Dickinson Law can upload their vaccination records through myUHS.
Faculty and staff can upload an image of their COVID-19 vaccination card into Penn State’s Salesforce Health Cloud, a secure online platform for collecting and storing health data.
Visit the Vaccine Information page to learn more about the vaccine and where to get a shot.
Gatherings
It is important to be mindful of your activities and personal health, including social activities. If you have symptoms of COVID-19, you should not engage in activities with others and seek proper health advice and care.
Individuals are strongly encouraged to be vaccinated for COVID-19 or receive a booster as soon as possible. You can find a vaccine provider near you on Vaccines.gov. Having a significant portion of our campus community vaccinated is the best way to protect ourselves and to guard against the spread of COVID-19 on Penn State campuses.
Students, faculty and staff who are vaccinated but have not yet shared their vaccination status with the University are encouraged to do so as soon as possible. Information on how to upload your vaccine status can be found on the Vaccine Information page.
What to do if you feel sick
Students
If you’re feeling ill or are worried you might have been exposed to COVID-19, we are here to support you. You are urged to get tested and follow these steps:
Step 1: If you feel sick, isolate yourself immediately.
Step 2: Contact University Health Services or your campus health care provider.
Step 3: If your provider recommends treatment, when traveling to the health care facility:
- Wear a well-fitting, high-quality mask at all times.
- Avoid contact with other people as much as possible.
- Do not use public transportation.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or sleeve (do not use your hands) when coughing or sneezing.
Step 4: Follow the instructions and guidance in the email from contact tracing and answer any calls from contact tracing. Participate fully in contact tracing process — help to identify anyone else who may have been exposed.
Step 5: If you test positive, you may be sent to isolation housing for a few days. You should pack what you need for your personal and academic needs and bring them with you. Pack for isolation.
Faculty and Staff
Any faculty and staff member who is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 should stay home and call their health care provider to arrange for a symptomatic test, or schedule an appointment at a publicly available COVID-19 testing site.
If the test result is positive, the employee should continue to stay home from work and contact their supervisor regarding taking time off or working remotely. Faculty and staff with a positive test result also should:
- Complete the COVID-19 Positive Form online.
- Upon completion of the COVID-19 Form, the employee and their supervisor will receive important information via email regarding their status.
- The employee should utilize appropriate earned time off COV Reason Codes
Additional information for employees, including testing and screening, frequently asked questions and other resources can be found on the Penn State Human Resources COVID-19 page.
Health guidelines
-
Faculty and staff who have symptoms of COVID-19 should stay home from work, contact their supervisor and their primary care provider and get tested for COVID-19.
If the test result is positive, the employee should continue to stay home from work and contact their supervisor regarding taking time off or working remotely.
Faculty and staff with a positive test result also should:- Complete the COVID-19 Positive Form online.
- Upon completion of the COVID-19 Form, the employee and their supervisor will receive important information via email regarding their status.
- The employee should utilize appropriate earned time off COV Reason Codes
-
On March 30, 2022, the federal government launched COVID.gov, a toolkit to provide information on resources for masks, treatment, vaccine, and testing related to COVID-19. The resources are searchable by county and are presented in English, Spanish, and Simplified Chinese. The federal government is also making the resources available over the phone through the National Hotline at 1-800-232-0233 (TTY 1-888-720-7489), which supports over 150 languages. More information can be found on this White House fact sheet.
-
The University asks that students, faculty and staff cooperate with requests that masks be worn in classrooms and individual offices, however it is up to each individual to make a decision about whether or not they wish to wear a mask. At this time, individuals cannot be required to wear a mask, except in situations where masks are required by law.
-
Yes. Faculty and staff at Penn State who work in their own individual offices may request that visitors wear masks while in their private offices and the University asks that community members respectfully cooperate with these requests. In other workspaces, employees are asked to be cognizant of others’ masking preferences when working in shared spaces and to consider wearing a mask themselves.
-
Faculty members and graduate teaching assistants who want students to continue to wear masks during their classes should communicate this preference directly to their students during class time or in advance via email or Canvas. It is recommended that faculty members and graduate teaching assistants provide the reason behind their request that students wear masks and communicate that the University encourages students, faculty and staff to cooperate with requests that masks be worn in classrooms and individual offices. Individuals who feel like they need an accommodation should contact the Office of Affirmative Action.
`