With the first week of classes complete, it’s worth reviewing the University of Utah’s updated health and safety guidance for fall semester:

Face coverings

All students, staff and faculty are required to wear face coverings in indoor public spaces—including classrooms, hallways, lounges and break rooms. Face coverings should also be worn outside when physical distancing (at least six feet) is not possible.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all face coverings, including those that are homemade, be made of two layers of breathable, washable fabric, which are approved for use on campus. Read more guidance here.

This summer, the university mailed face coverings to every employee. Students can pick up their masks at three locations around campus.

To report violations of the university’s face coverings policy, call the Dean of Students at 801-581-7066. All reports will remain confidential.

Self-reporting and quarantining

The university is asking students, faculty and staff to monitor themselves for symptoms of COVID-19 and stay home if they are sick. Symptoms include fever, chills, new or worsening chronic cough, runny nose, sore throat, new loss of taste or smell, nausea, vomiting diarrhea, fatigue, headache, muscle/body aches or difficulty breathing/shortness of breath.

If you have been exposed, or are experiencing symptoms, self-report and follow university employee exposure guidance.

Emergency management and academic leaders have developed a set of guidelines for how faculty should respond to and manage student reports of COVID-19 infection— including classroom cleaning and closure protocols, contact tracing processes, and reporting exposure to college and department leaders.