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TCNJ COVID-19 Spring 2023 Information

COVID-19 Vaccine Requirement

Spring 2023: All students taking classes and/or participating in on-campus activities are required to provide proof of vaccination for the Spring 2023 semester. Learn more about TCNJ’s vaccine requirement.

Students entering TCNJ after the Spring 2023 semester will not be required to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination. Staying up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccination as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will continue to be strongly recommended. 

All students, regardless of vaccination status, may:

  • be subject to symptomatic testing, random asymptomatic testing, or regular testing if there is evidence of substantial or high transmission in the community.
  • choose to maintain physical distance or wear a mask in spaces where it is not a requirement to do so.

COVID-19 Testing

Effective December 23, 2022, TCNJ discontinued its COVID-19 campus community testing program. The testing site, located in Decker Hall and operated by our vendor, Bergen New Bridge Medical Center, provided over 71,000 tests to TCNJ students, faculty, and staff over the past 2 years. With the availability of at-home self-test kits, there has been a dwindling demand for on-campus testing.  Additionally, the COVID Outreach Team and COVID related functions in the ROAR app have been “retired”. 

This is not to say that COVID-19 is gone. It is not. Although most of us have some level of immunity from vaccination, infection, or both, we can still get COVID. Although the infection may be mild to moderate in most people, it is very contagious and disruptive. We need to be alert, mitigate our risk as much as we can, stay home when we are sick, and be prepared by having COVID-19 test kits, a working thermometer, some high-quality masks, and fever-reducing medicine at home.

Testing remains important to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 to others. We are in the midst of the cold and flu season and there is much overlap in symptoms. The only way to know for sure if it is COVID-19 is by testing. 

To obtain COVID-19 at-home self-tests: 

  • Visit your local pharmacist. Most insurance plans cover up to 8 at-home COVID-19 tests per person every 30 days. 
  • Purchase tests online or in pharmacies and retail stores, including the Bookstore. Be sure that the test you use has been authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). 
  • Students can purchase at-home self tests from Student Health Services for $5 per test.
  • Order free tests from the U.S. government at https://www.covid.gov/tests. 

To obtain testing in your community: 

Masks

While the college does not currently have a mask mandate, anyone wishing to wear a mask is encouraged to do so. Furthermore, individual instructors may require masking in their classrooms, and certain health offices, such as Student Health Services, Counseling and Prevention Services, and Athletic Training Room, require masks to be worn. Masking is also required for individuals who have tested positive, or who have been close contacts of someone with COVID-19. See the TCNJ Quarantine & Isolation Protocol Spring 2023. Masks are available free-of-charge at the BSC Information Desk.

If You Have COVID-like Symptoms

Despite vaccination and/or previous COVID-19 infection, members of the community may become infected with COVID-19. Following New Jersey Department of Health and TCNJ Quarantine & Isolation Protocol Spring 2023, any community member who is exposed to COVID-19 must adhere to the proper testing protocols:

  • Isolate. Stay home if you are ill or test positive. 
  • Get tested. Either by using an at home COVID-19 test kit or by going to a testing site in your community. Students may also purchase self testing kits for $5 at Student Health Services.
  • If you feel you need medical attention, contact your healthcare provider. Students can schedule an appointment with Student Health Services via OWL or by calling 609.771.2889.
  • If your test is negative but you continue to feel ill, stay home and retest in 12-24 hours. An accurate result depends on following the printed instructions in the at-home self-test kit exactly as written.

If You Test Positive for COVID

On-campus Residential Housing Students

  • If you are a residential student, you are expected to: 
    • During College business hours: Contact The Housing & Residential Education Office at 609-771-2301 to notify them of your positive test.
    • Outside of College business hours: Please notify your CA or contact Campus Police at 609-771-2345 to notify them of your positive test.
    • Upload a picture of your positive COVID test to OWL be sure to include your name, PAWS ID # and date you tested positive in the picture.
    • Contact your professors and notify them of your absence for 5 days with day 0 being the date you tested positive. 
    • If you need additional support or assistance contacting your faculty for flexibility, please complete a CARE referral.

Generally, it is expected that all residential students complete their isolation period at home. A limited number of COVID isolation housing will be available for the Spring 2023 semester for students with a demonstrated need. 

The isolation period is 5 full days. Day zero is the day you test positive. On day 6 you may leave isolation as long as you have been fever free for a full 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medications and your symptoms have significantly improved.  You MUST wear a mask at all times when around others Day 6 through Day 10.

  • Call your doctor if you are a person at high risk for severe COVID. You may be a candidate for prescription antiviral medicine.
  • Know that your risk of getting COVID-19 again is greatly reduced for about 3 months. 

 Off-Campus Students

  • If you are a non-residential student, you are expected to: 
    • Upload a photo of your positive COVID test to OWL. Be sure to include your name, PAWS ID #, and the date that you tested positive in the photo.
    • Contact your professors and notify them of your absence for 5 days with day 0 being the date you tested positive. 
    • If you need additional support or assistance contacting your faculty for flexibility,  please complete a CARE referral.

The isolation period is 5 full days. Day zero is the day you test positive. On day 6, you may leave isolation if you have been fever-free for a full 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and your symptoms have significantly improved.  You MUST wear a high-quality mask at all times when around others Day 6 through Day 10.

  • Call your doctor if you are a person at high risk for severe COVID. You may be a candidate for prescription antiviral medicine.
  • Know that your risk of getting COVID-19 again is greatly reduced for about 3 months. 

 Faculty & Staff

  • If you are an employee, report your positive test result to Human Resources by emailing COVID Documentation to covid-documentation-group@tcnj.edu.

The isolation period is 5 full days. Day zero is the day you test positive. On day 6, you may leave isolation if you have been fever-free for a full 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and your symptoms have significantly improved.  You MUST wear a high-quality mask at all times when around others Day 6 through Day 10.

  • Call your doctor if you are a person at high risk for severe COVID. You may be a candidate for prescription antiviral medicine.
  • Know that your risk of getting COVID-19 again is greatly reduced for about 3 months. 

Notify Your Close Contacts

As a courtesy you should notify your close contacts. A close contact is defined as someone vaccinated or unvaccinated; regardless of previous COVID-19 infection, who was less than 6 feet away from a person with confirmed COVID-19 for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period. 

Close contacts should wear a surgical mask or respirator (e.g. N95, KN95 or KF94) for a full 10 days any time you are around others inside your home/room or indoors in public and follow the TCNJ Quarantine & Isolation Protocol Spring 2023

No isolation or quarantine is required if you are a close contact.  You should still exercise the following precautions:

  • Do not go places where you are unable to wear a mask.  
  • For travel guidance, see CDC’s travel webpage
  • Watch for symptoms (e.g., fever >100.4°F, cough, sore throat, etc)
  • If you develop symptoms before the 5th day, isolate immediately and test for COVID-19
  • A COVID-19 test is needed on the 6th day after your last exposure to a person with COVID-19. 
    • If you test negative, retest again in 24-48 hours. If the test remains negative and you do not have COVID-like symptoms, continue with masking and COVID precautions for the full 10 days.
    • If you test positive, regardless of the presence or absence of symptoms, isolate immediately and follow the instructions above for testing positive.

COVID-19 Resources

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