COVID-19 Information

The Components of Commit @ IHP

In public, wear your personal mask.
On campus, the Institute will provide a daily mask and other personal protective equipment (PPE) as needed.
At clinical education placements, either the site or the Institute will provide you with the required PPE.

Hand hygiene has been proven to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Please follow hand hygiene protocols at home, on campus, and when you are in public settings.

Adhere to the state’s social distancing guidelines.
Respect maximum assembly sizes as designated in specific locations.
Restrict travel and social situations which are not consistent with these guidelines.

Public health travel regulations change frequently. It is the responsibility of the student to review and apply the restrictions accordingly. For ease of reference, use guidance on the Massachusetts travel advisory.
Per the CDC, people who are fully vaccinated with an FDA-authorized vaccine can travel safely within the United States. You do not need to get tested or self-quarantine if you are fully vaccinated or have recovered from COVID-19 in the past 3 months. You should still follow all other travel recommendations, including adhering to all social distancing, hand hygiene, and mask protocols.

Vaccinations

Students

All Institute students in academic programs scheduled to be on campus this Fall were required to submit their proof of COVID-19 vaccination into their Complio account by September 1, 2021. For guidance on how to populate your Complio account, visit the IHP’s Immunization and Certification page. This requirement may expand to additional groups dependent upon updated guidance from Mass General Brigham.

Students in need of a COVID-19 vaccine can utilize:

MGB COVID Pass: After completing a daily asymptomatic attestation survey through COVID Pass, students can proceed with scheduling their vaccination appointment at an MGB affiliated location.
Mass.gov: Students can use the state’s COVID-19 Vaccine Finder to find a convenient vaccination location.

Noncompliant students will:

Lose access to D2L (learning management system),
Not be able to participate in clinical placements, and
Not be able to attend class on campus.

Faculty/Staff

Vaccines were required of all employees by October 15. unless you have a religious or medical exemption. If you have questions about the vaccine or want to discuss your vaccine concerns, MGB has developed guidance to help answer questions. Employees who did not receive the vaccine by October 15 are subject to corrective action, up to and including termination.

Whether you were vaccinated at a Mass General Brigham site or elsewhere, you must complete this survey with an attestation or documentation. All new hires must receive vaccination clearance to work from MGH Occupational Health beginning on September 13, which includes validation of a COVID-19 vaccine.

As of October 25, the IHP is not mandating a booster, however, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now recommends booster shots for certain people who received the Pfizer, Moderna, and the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.

The quickest, easiest way to get a COVID-19 booster shot is in your local community; many sites, including CVS and Walgreens, offer free booster shots. You can search vaccines.gov to find a location near you. You can also text your zip code to 438829 or call 1-800-232-0233 to find a location. Mass General Brigham is also offering booster shots to employees who are eligible per the CDC’s recommendation. Eligible employees may schedule their booster shot appointment at a Mass General Brigham location via COVID Pass.

Exemption Request Process

If you are a student seeking an exemption for medical or religious reasons for the COVID-19 vaccine, the deadline for the Fall semester was September 1, 2021.

Testing and Health

Be honest with yourself. If you have symptoms, get tested. Regardless of your vaccination status, if you have symptoms of COVID-19, stay home and get tested. Using COVID Pass, you can access testing for any reason. Testing is free of charge and there are many locations available to you. If you develop symptoms, infection with COVID-19, or an exposure, follow the Return to Work For Employees During the COVID-19 Pandemic Policy on Pulse.

Anyone experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 must refrain from coming to campus and should contact MGH Occupational Health Services (617-726-2217; when prompted, students should press option 3) for assessment, testing (if appropriate), and guidance on return to campus.

Students: What to Do if You've Been Exposed to COVID-19

I Have a Confirmed Exposure or am Experiencing Symptoms

When able, notify your academic advisor or member of your program staff
Contact MGH Occupational Health Services (OHS) at 617-726-2217; when prompted, students should press option 3
1. Identify yourself as an IHP student
2. MGH OHS will assess your symptoms and/or possible exposure status to advise you on next steps.

General guidance regarding exposures:

If asymptomatic non-household exposure, you can continue work/school but must be referred by OHS for testing within 3-14 days from exposure.
If asymptomatic household exposure, an initial negative COVID Test (NAAT) is required before coming on campus.
If symptomatic, MGH OHS will help you schedule testing at an MGB facility. If tested elsewhere, you will be required to submit the results to MGH OHS.

In all instances, MGH OHS will advise students on the appropriate steps for being cleared to return to campus and clinical placements

Exposure is defined as: ≥15 cumulative minutes of face-to-face contact, within 6 feet with a confirmed or presumed case of COVID-19 starting from 2 calendar days prior to symptom onset or, in setting of asymptomatic infection, starting 2 calendar days prior to test collection.

I Have Tested Positive (NAAT/Molecular Test)

If your COVID test was conducted at an MGB location, you should expect a call from MGH Occupational Health Services (OHS) within 24 hours of documentation of a positive test. If your COVID test was conducted at a non-MGB location, you should submit your results to OHS at PHSOHSCOVID19@partners.org.

OHS will conduct an interview for the purposes of on-campus contact tracing. You must contact MGH OHS (617-726-2217 option#3) for clearance before returning to campus or clinical placement. The results of your symptom assessment by OHS, as well and the duration and severity of your symptoms will dictate when you can return to campus or clinical placements.

If you were COVID-19 positive and experienced symptoms, you will need to wait until least 1 day (24 hours) since recovery; defined as resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and consistent improvement of COVID-related symptoms or return to previous baseline AND at least 10 days since symptoms first appeared (20 days if severely immunocompromised).
If you were COVID-19 positive but asymptomatic, you will need to wait at least 10 days since positive test (20 days if severely immunocompromised) AND no intervening illness (if you have an intervening illness, manage as symptomatic, above).

Additional Resources

More details can be found on:

Faculty/Staff: What to Do if You've Been Exposed to COVID-19

I Have a Confirmed Exposure or am Experiencing Symptoms

Employees must notify their manager that they will be out of work or that they will work remotely if able and approved by their manager.
COVID-19 testing may be obtained at Mass General Brigham patient-facing test facilities by self-scheduling through COVID Pass (if available) or by calling the Mass General Brigham Occupational Health Central Services COVID call center at 617-724-8100. All employee testing at Mass General Brigham sites is via NAAT (PCR). Alternatively, employees can test at any non- Mass General Brigham testing location and submit their results to OHS at PHSOHSCOVID19@partners.org

General guidance regarding exposures:

If asymptomatic non-household exposure, you can continue work but must obtain NAAT testing within 3-14 days from exposure.
If asymptomatic household exposure, an initial negative COVID Test (NAAT) is required before resuming on-site work.
If symptomatic, stay out of work and obtain a COVID-19 test for evaluation. Arrangements for testing must be made within 24 hours of symptom onset. Employees who test at a non-Mass General Brigham facility must submit results within 24 hours of receipt of test results; those who delay obtaining a test or submission of test results will be required to use PTO.

I Have Tested Positive (NAAT/Molecular Test)

If your COVID test was conducted at an MGB location, you should expect a call from MGH Occupational Health Services (OHS) within 24 hours of documentation of a positive test.
If your COVID test was conducted at a non-MGB location, you should submit your results to OHS at PHSOHSCOVID19@partners.org.

OHS will conduct an interview for the purposes of contact tracing and will instruct the employee to contact OHS when they have met criteria for return to work so that OHS can confirm their recovery.

Please see MGB's Infection Status and Resolution policy for specific patient type and criteria to return to work. Time-based resolution is preferred and can supersede test-based resolution.

As of June 14, 2021, under the new MA COVID-19 Temporary Emergency Leave program, employees who are eligible under the new law may apply to receive pay equal to one times (1x) their standard hours at their base rate of pay. Employees interested in applying for leave under the new law must notify their manager/timekeeper who will code their time appropriately.

Arriving to Campus

Starting on the first day of the Fall Semester, the IHP is using a streamlined campus entry process for faculty, staff, and students.

All members of the IHP Community are required to complete daily asymptomatic attestation through COVID Pass.
Members of the IHP Community will no longer need to show proof of their daily COVID Pass clearance in order to enter the building.
Ensuring Compliance:
- Faculty and staff logging into their MGB-issued computers will be prompted to complete their COVID Pass if they have not already done so.
- Students will be part of a weekly compliance audit. Students who were scheduled to be on campus for the previous week but did not complete their COVID Pass attestation will receive a notification. Additionally, their academic program will be notified of their noncompliance.

All Visitors to Campus must check in at one of the security desks where they will complete an attestation form.

View the Fall 2021 Coming to Campus Guide

While on Campus

All individuals on the IHP’s campus must wear an IHP-issued face mask upon entry to all IHP buildings and when in all public/common spaces and all clinical locations. “Clinical locations” at the IHP includes the IMPACT Practice Center, Skills Labs, Simulation Labs, and research areas. Mask dispensers are located in all buildings.

On-premises, face masks can be removed when you are in:

Private offices when working alone
Shared offices if ≥ 6 feet distance can be maintained between all occupants
- Exception: fully vaccinated employees who are immunocompromised, at increased risk for severe disease or who have a household member who is immunocompromised, at increased risk for severe disease, or is unvaccinated (See Massachusetts Mask Advisory here).
Indoor locations where eating and drinking are specifically permitted (i.e., private offices, work rooms, breakrooms, cafeterias, conference rooms)
- Individuals must distance by ≥ 6 feet while unmasked to eat or drink.
- Eating areas for students are located across campus. Indoor eating areas include all classrooms when no classes are scheduled, student lounges, the Shouse lobby, and 4th-floor study area, Bellack Library & Study Commons quiet study area, and B149 Eat Street Café.

Students and faculty will be provided eye protection packets at the start of the semester. In addition to your IHP-issued mask, eye protection is required in skills labs, simulation labs, practicum sites, and when working with IPC clients, research participants, or standardized patients.

skyline view of boston from pier in navy yard shows sailboats and blue sky

Classrooms and Meetings

Faculty

All classrooms were upgraded over the summer. Use the white flip book attached to the podium to assist you when starting the system. Give yourself at least 15 minutes before the beginning of class for set up.

>> Follow these steps to return to the classroom

Faculty Compass contains a section specific to teaching developed by our instructional designers and technologists, librarians, and IT staff to support all teaching modalities.

For assistance with student accommodations contact the OSAS Accessibility Office and see these guidelines for accessibility.

Help Desk
(617) 724-7910

Immediate/Urgent Help Desk Assistance
(617) 726-3172

If you have any questions or concerns
open a Help Desk ticket

Students

Submit a ticket to the Help Desk if you need personal assistance with D2L or Zoom. Instructional technologists, information technology support staff and librarians can all be contacted via the Helpdesk.

The capacity of each room is at pre-COVID levels with everyone masked: students can study in any available classroom and/or student space during regular building hours. There is student study space available in the Shouse Building, as well as buildings 38, 39, and 2CW.

On campus events and gatherings must be reviewed and approved consistent with the current guidelines and precautions. If students need testing space or space for any academic accommodation, they should work through their program coordinator. Any clubs that would like to book space for in-person meetings should work with OSAS to find an appropriate meeting space.

Travel

The IHP is following MGB policy as it relates to employee travel. You can find the full policy on Pulse.

Work-related travel outside of state of employee work or residence (domestic and international) is permitted for employees who are fully vaccinated at the time of travel. It is prohibited for employees who are not fully vaccinated. This prohibition includes in-person attendance at educational and academic conferences.

Personal travel is at the discretion of the employee. Employees should adhere to public health guidance when traveling.

photo shows airplane aisle from the back with rows of seats

Resources

Incoming Students

Temporary Admissions and Pre-Enrollment Policies for COVID-19

Campus “tour” Video about the pivot

Mass General Brigham Resource Links

Pulse - Mass General Brigham Intranet COVID page

Employee COVID Pass

Remote Work Toolkit

Mental Health Support: Self-Service Apps/ Mental Health

Guide to Mental Health Resources for COVID-19 (MGH Dept of Psychiatry)

OSAS Kids Corner

External Resource Links

Massachusetts Dept of Public Health

National Centers for Disease Control

Coronavirus Case Numbers in the US

Department of State Travel Advisories

World Health Organization

Johns Hopkins CSSE Map of Global Cases

Database of Localized Resources(Aid, Mental Health, etc.)

Xenophobia and Allyship (focus on Asian Americans)

McLean Hospital Mental Health Self-Care Resources

Helping and News

Student Emergency Fund - With so many of our students facing unexpected financial challenges due to job loss, clinical placement changes, and travel restrictions, the IHP created this fund to allow some relief during these unpredictable times. Through your generous gift, you are providing much-needed support for these students.

Pandemic Pivot News article page

COVID FAQs

What do I need to do each day before coming onto campus?

Those coming onto campus must first fill out a COVID Pass, answering honestly about the current state of their health. You will need this to enter any IHP building for the foreseeable future. All students, faculty and staff must be fully vaccinated, unless they have been approved for an exemption. If you aren’t feeling well, do not come onto campus.

Do I need to wear a mask? And if so, where?

You will be required to wear an IHP provided mask in all indoor settings except private offices or workstations when you are more than 6 feet from anyone – in any common space masks must be worn at all times. There are no exceptions.

Do I have to be vaccinated?

All students, faculty and staff must be fully vaccinated to be on campus. Students must be vaccinated by September 1, 2021 and employees by October 15, 2021. If for personal health or religious reasons you are not vaccinated, you must go through the process of getting an exemption. There are no exceptions to this on campus.

Where can I eat on campus?

All must adhere to the Universal Masking policy when eating on campus. This includes maintaining at least a 6ft distance between you and others when removing your mask to eat. While staff and faculty may choose to eat at their desks/in their offices, the following spaces (with additional social distancing seating) are available for students (and faculty and staff) to eat: in classrooms if no classes are scheduled, student lounges, the Shouse lobby, the 4th-floor study area, the Bellack Library & Study Commons quiet study area and the B149 Eat Street Café.

How are the classrooms organized?

All classrooms have been reconfigured to pre-COVID layouts. Please refrain from re-arranging the classroom furniture settings.

Are the buildings well-ventilated?

All buildings and their HVAC systems have been tested and retested and HEPA-filters are regularly changed. The building ventilation systems refresh the air throughout the day.

What if I need to miss class because I don’t feel well?

Please contact your individual department and instructor to determine what will be expected of you for missing a class. Please do stay home and do not attempt to attend class.

I am not taking public transportation these days and want to park at the IHP. Where can I do that, and what are the costs?

Parking is available at CNY 199, Nautica and Constitution Wharf. For CNY 199, please contact commuterservices@partners.org . Nautica Parking is $14 a day for a maximum of 12 hours. Please contact the Office of Campus Services at to sign up for monthly parking at Constitution Wharf.

Are the kitchens and lounges available?

Yes students, faculty and staff can store lunches in the lounges. Please do not leave food overnight. Water filtration stations are available – please bring your own water bottle. Coffee and tea service is not available at this time.

When do I need to wear eye protection?

Eye protection is required in skills labs, simulation labs, practicum sites, and when working with IPC clients, research participants, or standardized patients.