As we've progressed together through the COVID-19 pandemic over the past two years, Baylor has continued to prioritize the health and well-being of our campus community while periodically adjusting our policies and protocols as warranted.

Baylor University shifted to optional testing on Jan. 31, 2022, in recognition of the improving COVID-19 environment and the campus community's continued effective management of the virus.

Masks are required to be worn in the Baylor Health Center and in accordance with the University's Isolation and Quarantine Procedures after an individual has tested positive for COVID-19 or is quarantined due to exposure.

Effective Monday, May 16, 2022, the MyLabsDirect COVID testing center at the North Village Community Center will be closed.

Testing options if you are symptomatic:

• Students: If you are symptomatic or have been exposed to a positive case, please log in to the Health Portal on the Health Center website to make an appointment for testing through the Health Center.
• Employees: If you are symptomatic or have been exposed to a positive case, please contact your personal healthcare provider for testing or access an at-home test kit available through pharmacies, such as CVS, Walgreen's or HEB. The Waco/McLennan County Public Health District provides a helpful list of additional testing resources.

Ordering at-home test kits:

• Residential households in the U.S. are eligible for two orders of four free at-home tests through USPS.com.
• Baylor faculty and staff can obtain $0 cost COVID-19 at-home tests through CVS Caremark by ordering or by visiting a CVS. You can request your reimbursement online through your Caremark.com account. More info in FAQs.

Baylor faculty and staff can obtain free at-home COVID-19 tests through CVS Caremark by ordering or by visiting a CVS. Learn more about how you can get $0 cost COVID-19 at-home tests. Starting Feb. 15, 2022, at-home COVID-19 tests you purchased for yourself or your covered family members may be eligible for reimbursement. You can request your reimbursement online through your Caremark.com account - there's no need to mail anything in. There are also Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to help you learn more about eligibility, the reimbursement process, and what you can expect.

Residential households in the U.S. are eligible for two orders of four free at-home tests through USPS.com.

Although face coverings are optional indoors for all individuals on the Baylor campus, face coverings may be required on a temporary basis in certain indoor settings.

For example, masks are required to be worn:

• In accordance with the University's Isolation and Quarantine Procedures after an individual has tested positive for COVID-19 or is quarantined due to exposure,
• In private faculty and staff offices when requested, and
• In other areas designated by posted signage, such as the Baylor Health Center.

As of Monday, Feb. 21, 2022, campus partners are no longer required to wear a facemask except under the following conditions:

• Directed to do so by their corporate office OR
• Masking because they have tested positive or been exposed to COVID-19.

The University has N95 masks available for faculty, staff and students who would like an added level of protection.

Departments and offices can request for a box of these masks by emailing the Office of Environmental Health & Safety at ehs@baylor.edu.

If you are a student living on campus, N95 masks can be accessed through your residence hall front desk. If you live off campus, N95 masks are available to be picked up at the McLane Student Life Center (SLC) during operational hours.

As in the fall, Baylor will not require a COVID vaccination for attendance this spring. The University encourages vaccination for students, faculty and staff and a booster dose, if you are eligible. More information is available on the University's vaccine website.

Baylor faculty, staff and students can use the Confidential Employee Medical Record Form at www.baylor.edu/vaccine to upload their completed vaccination card, including a booster dose if they have had one.

NOTE: To successfully access this form, you must be logged in to your own Baylor-provided email account.

Effective May 19-20, 2022, Baylor Health Services will move its vaccination clinic from the North Village Community Center to the Health Center in the McLane Student Life Center. More info is available at www.baylor.edu/vaccine.

Baylor Health Center Vaccination Clinic Schedule

Thursdays and Fridays: 1 to 4:10 p.m. for adult and pediatric vaccinations and booster appointments. There is no cost for the COVID-19 vaccination.

How to Make a Vaccination Appointment

The Baylor Health Center vaccination clinic offers first and second doses of all three COVID-19 vaccines, as well as boosters, to employees and students, as well as spouses and dependents of employees and students. The pediatric Pfizer vaccine is available for dependent children ages 5-11 of employees and students.

Vaccination appointments for students, faculty and staff: Students, faculty and staff can make appointments for themselves online for a COVID-19 or flu vaccination by logging in to the Health Portal on the Baylor Health Center website.

Vaccination appointments for dependent and spouses: Appointments for COVID vaccinations for dependents and spouses cannot be made online. Faculty and staff must call the Baylor Health Center at 254-710-1010.

If you were vaccinated on-campus, the Baylor Health Center maintains a record of your vaccination.

If you were vaccinated at an off-campus site, please check with the provider that administered your vaccine for instructions on how to retrieve your records.

Information on how to obtain a new vaccination card or other evidence of vaccination also can be found on the CDC website.

If you are a student with COVID symptoms or exposure to the virus, please log in to the Health Portal to make an appointment for testing at the Baylor Health Center in the McLane Student Life Center. Employees should contact their person healthcare provider for testing or obtain an at-home test kit available through pharmacies, such as CVS, Walgreen's or HEB.

When the health center is closed or the University is closed for the holidays, Baylor students have 24/7 access to on-demand urgent care through Baylor Telehealth by AcademicLiveCare.

The University's Isolation and Quarantine Procedures provide an outline of what you should do if you are exposed to or test positive for COVID-19.

Baylor employees should notify their supervisor of any needed sick time or remote work time.

Symptoms of COVID-19

People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms, ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. Anyone can have mild to severe symptoms. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

This list does not include all possible symptoms. CDC will continue to update this list as we learn more about COVID-19.

When to Seek Emergency Medical Attention

Look for emergency warning signs** for COVID-19. If someone is showing any of these signs, seek emergency medical care immediately:

• Trouble breathing
• Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
• New confusion
• Inability to wake or stay awake
• Pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, lips, or nail beds, depending on skin tone

**This list is not all possible symptoms. Please call your medical provider for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning to you.

Call 911 or call ahead to your local emergency facility: Notify the operator that you are seeking care for someone who has or may have COVID-19.

Baylor University has adopted updated protocols for Isolation and Quarantine in 2022.

Students and employees should follow the University's Isolation and Quarantine procedures outlining what you should do if you are exposed to or test positive for COVID-19.

Students should have a plan if they become infected, as quarantine and isolation services will be severely limited. The University's isolation housing is prioritized for those on-campus residential students who live out of state or a significant distance from Waco and cannot return home to safely quarantine at home or in another safe location. Baylor contact tracers and Residence Hall staff will provide guidance and instructions to students who test positive.

A student's plan should include:

• a location to complete the self-isolation/quarantine period, including returning home if feasible,
• a plan for transportation, such as using your own vehicle or transportation by a family member, but no use of public transportation,
• access to groceries/meal delivery,
• access to necessary medications,
• a plan to communicate with your professors,
• numbers of emergency contacts, and
• contact information for their preferred healthcare provider.

Please note that if students have a meal plan, the plan would still be in effect, and the university has a process in place for students in isolation and quarantine to receive meals. However, a limited selection of meals might be offered.

If you are a student in university isolation housing, you will given instructions and have meals delivered to you by the Bear Aid team.

Students in quarantine or isolating in place do not have delivered meals. They are to remain in their rooms at all times. If they are around roommates or have to leave for the restroom or dining hall, they must remain masked, preferably with an N95.

For meals, they should go to the closest dining hall, masked preferably with an N95, to get a meal to-go only and then return immediately to their room. If they have not received an N95, they should call the front desk of their building or their CL if they need an N95.

Students and employees who test positive or have been exposed to a positive test should continue to reference the Spring protocols for direction on quarantine/isolation. Employees should notify their supervisor of any needed sick time or remote work time.

What we know now about curtailing the spread of the virus is that it is less important to sanitize surfaces and more important to maintain regular ventilation and air flow. The University does not provide room cleaning, however, if a student does not have regular cleaning supplies in their room, they should contact their hall front desk for available supplies.

The University's Custodial Services team has continued its focus on implementing improved ventilation practices, including increasing building fresh air, maximizing filtration and disinfecting coil systems. The University has a limited number of air purifiers that are available upon request for temporary use in a residence hall room or department.

Baylor Custodial Services also conducts cleaning and disinfection in accordance with current CDC recommendations, including increased disinfection in multiple locations with an emphasis on restrooms, common spaces and common high-touch contact points across campus. Any disinfectant used on campus is approved as effective against the coronavirus by the EPA.

Effective May 16, 2022, Baylor will no longer provide contact tracing. All contact tracing will be conducted by the Waco/McLennan County Public Health District.

Students and employees who test positive or have been exposed to a positive test should continue to reference the Spring protocols for direction on quarantine/isolation. Employees should notify their supervisor of any needed sick time or remote work time.

Please check the Baylor Health Center for updates to their summer hours.

When the Baylor Health Center is closed, Baylor students have 24/7 access to a nurse line after hours, on weekends and holidays at 254-710-1010. In addition, telehealth appointments for 24/7 on-demand urgent care for students are available through the Baylor Telehealth by AcademicLiveCare Care Hub. More information about telehealth appointment is available on the Health Services website.

Baylor University began the spring 2022 semester on Jan. 18 with in-person instruction. The University is not receiving or granting requests from students to take their courses online. Due to our high vaccination rates (over 82%), availability of testing and following public health protocols, we believe the safest place for our faculty, staff and students from the latest variant is on the Baylor campus. The University has continued with COVID-19 precautionary measures from the fall as we closely follow the spike and projected decline of this latest variant.

Baylor faculty are being asked to work with students who test positive for COVID or who must quarantine due to contact tracing, but, unless a student is officially registered with the Office of Access and Learning Accommodation (OALA) and has an accommodation that merits online coursework, students are expected to be in Waco for in-person courses.

Students who have tested positive for COVID-19 and are isolating or are identified as a close contact and instructed to quarantine should follow their plan and communicate directly with their professors directly.

You can find all communications regarding COVID-19 from Baylor University posted on the University Updates page.

Baylor University, the Waco/McLennan County Public Health District and the Texas Department of State Health Services also provide the latest information on the current COVID-19 situation on their websites and on their public dashboards:

• Texas Department of State Health Services
• Waco-McLennan County Public Health District

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides the latest information on COVID-19 on the CDC website.

Baylor Custodial Services conducts cleaning and disinfection in accordance with current CDC recommendations. This includes increased disinfection in multiple locations with an emphasis on restrooms, common spaces and common high-touch contact points across campus. Any disinfectant used on campus is approved as effective against the coronavirus by the EPA.

Additionally, Baylor Custodial Services continues to implement improved ventilation practices, including increasing building fresh air, maximizing filtration and disinfecting coil systems. Air purifiers are being provided to departments upon request.

We remind everyone to practice good personal hygiene to lower the risk of becoming ill.

Touchless hand sanitizing dispensers are set up across campus.

If you need a face covering, disposable face covers are available at the McLane Student Life Center.

If departments have questions about additional PPE, cleaning supplies or other materials, they should contact Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) at 254-710-2900 or ehs@baylor.edu.

If you are a student with COVID symptoms or exposure to the virus, please log in to the Health Portal to make an appointment for testing at the Baylor Health Center in the McLane Student Life Center. Employees should contact their healthcare provider.

For students who need regular health care, appointments with the Baylor Health Center also can be made by calling 254-710-1010 or online through the Health Portal log-in on the health services website.

This fall, the Health Center is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday. Check the website for updated hours. When the health center is closed or the University is closed for the holidays, Baylor students have 24/7 access to on-demand urgent care through Baylor Telehealth by AcademicLiveCare.

The Office of Baylor Spiritual Life and University Chaplain Dr. Burt Burleson offer pastoral care and other spiritual resources for students and the Baylor community by phone at 254-710-3517, by email and on their website at www.baylor.edu/spirituallife. For pastoral care, reach out to Tyler Conway, senior coordinator for care and Campus Ministries, at tyler_conway@baylor.edu.

The Baylor Counseling Center can be reached 24/7 at 254-710-2467. Students also may email Counseling_Center@baylor.edu. You can read more about how the Counseling Center is serving students during the pandemic on the Counseling Center website.

The Paul L. Foster Success Center provides assistance with advisement, academic support, accommodations and access to resources for student success, including The Store.

Baylor Care Team Services is a team of case managers who connect students to resources both on and off campus and offer holistic care through creating trusting relationships.

No. However, getting the flu vaccine is strongly encouraged by Baylor. Getting a flu vaccine is more important than ever, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, not only to reduce a person's risk from flu but also to help conserve potentially scarce healthcare resources.

Baylor Health Services offers flu shots at its vaccination clinic in the North Village Community Center.

Effective March 1, 2022, international travel will no longer be restricted, subject to the usual process of departmental/college approval. There will also be no vaccine mandate issued by Baylor University. All travelers will need to follow the entry requirements of host countries (which supersedes Baylor policy and may mandate vaccines, vaccine cards, and boosters).

Each trip will be reviewed individually in light of travel restrictions and entry requirements. Registration forms must be submitted to the Center for Global Engagement at least 14 days in advance to allow sufficient time for review and consultation with the travelers by CGE and the Office of Global Safety and Security. International Group Travel (study abroad, international missions, field trips, etc.) will no longer have a vaccine mandate, but all travelers must abide by the entry rules and local ordinances of the host country without exception.

Since you reside in New York, we encourage you to visit the New York State Health Department website for the latest COVID-19 related information. From there, you can sign up for email notifications, or contact your local health department office by viewing the online directory.

Baylor continues to provide more general information about Waco and Baylor at www.baylor.edu/coronavirus.

Residents of Dallas County can visit the Dallas County Health and Human Services' website for the latest COVID-19 related information and resources. Those in Tarrant County (Ft. Worth and surrounding areas) can visit Tarrant County Public Health for coronavirus information. Additional information is available on Tarrant County Public Health's Facebook page.

Baylor continues to provide more general information about Waco and Baylor at www.baylor.edu/coronavirus.

Since you reside in the Austin area, we encourage you to visit Austin Public Health for information on COVID-19. The website includes a Virtual Assistant to use for your coronavirus-related questions.

Baylor continues to provide more general information about Waco and Baylor at www.baylor.edu/coronavirus.

If you live in Houston and the incorporated areas of the city extending outside Harris County, we encourage you to visit the Houston Health Department for COVID-19 information. If you live in Harris County, visit Harris County Public Health.

Baylor continues to provide more general information about Waco and Baylor at www.baylor.edu/coronavirus.

Since you reside in the Washington, D.C. area, we encourage you to visit the District of Columbia Department of Health for information on COVID-19.

Baylor continues to provide more general information about Waco and Baylor at www.baylor.edu/coronavirus.

Since you reside in the San Antonio area, we encourage you to visit the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District for information on COVID-19.

Baylor continues to provide more general information about Waco and Baylor at www.baylor.edu/coronavirus.

Baylor University's primary COVID-19 liaison is:

George Nunez, Director of Emergency Management
Email: coronavirus@baylor.edu

Access any of the following resources for additional information or answers to commonly asked questions:

• FAQs: www.baylor.edu/coronavirus/FAQS
• Interim COVID-19 Policies: https://www.baylor.edu/risk/index.php?id=970933
• If you are a member of the media, please contact Baylor Media & Public Relations at 254-710-1961 or mediacomm@baylor.edu.

International students can contact Baylor International Student and Scholar Services in the Center for Global Engagement at 254-710-1461 or by email at ISSS_Support@baylor.edu.