COVID-19 & Returning to Campus FAQs

Updated Aug. 10, 2022

Table of Contents

COVID Testing & Tracing

Is COVID testing required by Harvard?

  • COVID testing is optional for all Harvard community members, with the exception of residential students. For residential students, rapid antigen testing is required upon arrival (provided at move-in) and highly encouraged for students who live off campus. 
  • Anyone with symptoms or known exposure should continue to test. Those who test positive should notify Harvard University Health Services (HUHS) through Crimson Clear.
  • University-sponsored optional PCR testing through Color is available until Friday, September 16. Eligible individuals are welcome to, but are not required to, use this option until the program ends. Refer to the HMS Testing Guide for test kit pick up and drop off locations, as well as other details.

How and when will I receive my test results?

  • You will receive an email and text notification from Color as soon as your test results are available, typically within one to three days. You can also visit color.com/covid-test to check if your results are ready. You’ll need to enter your date of birth and the test barcode associated to your kit.

What do I do when I receive my test results?

Per Harvard’s website for understanding your test results:

  • Negative Test Results: If you test negative for COVID-19, no further action is needed. Continue to wear a mask, maintain your required testing frequency, and practice good hygiene. Read more tips about how to keep Harvard healthy.
  • Positive Test Results: If you receive notification of a positive test through Harvard’s testing program, it’s incredibly important to minimize your movement and exposure to others by returning or staying home and wearing a well-fitting mask at all times if in the presence of other household members. HUHS will contact you via your Harvard email about what it means to test positive and explain next steps, including isolation and notifying your close contacts. HUHS relies on email for most communication, so please check your Harvard email for instructions about next steps.
  • Unsatisfactory Sample: If you receive an unsatisfactory result, you will need to take another test as soon as possible. If your repeat test requires clinical observation, HUHS will let you know. If you are in quarantine, it is acceptable to leave your home briefly in order to submit a test sample, but masks and physical distancing are required.
  • Inconclusive Sample: If you receive an inconclusive result or a notification that the lab was unable to return results for your sample, please submit another test as soon as possible. If you are currently in isolation or quarantine, you should continue to adhere to relevant guidelines until additional results are received.

What happens if I test positive?

  • Per Harvard’s website for understanding your test results, if you receive notification of a positive test through Harvard’s testing program, it’s incredibly important to minimize your movement and exposure to others by returning or staying home and wearing a well-fitting mask at all times if in the presence of other household members. HUHS will contact you via your Harvard email about what it means to test positive and explain next steps, including isolation and notifying your close contacts. HUHS relies on email for most communication, so please check your Harvard email for instructions about next steps.
  • If you test positive outside of Harvard’s testing program, you should report your positive result to HUHS through Crimson Clear via the “Self-Assessment” section. If your positive result was on an outside antigen or PCR test, you should begin isolation even before the HUHS Contact Tracing team emails you.

What should I do if I think I was exposed to COVID-19?

  • If you think you were exposed to COVID-19, follow these guidelines to determine your next steps, including whether you need to quarantine and take additional well-being measures.

How does Harvard define a close contact?

  • Harvard follows the CDC’s definition of a close contact as someone who meets all four of these criteria:
    1. Exposed to someone confirmed to be infected (either via positive PCR or rapid antigen test or a contact tracer told them to treat themselves as if they had a positive PCR test), and
    2. Interaction was indoors, and
    3. Interaction was close—less than 6 feet away, and
    4. Interaction lasted for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period

What do I do if I am notified of being a close contact?

  • If you are a close contact, your quarantine requirements will depend on your vaccination and booster status. Follow the exposure guidance and quarantine requirements on the Harvard website or via this pdf file.
  • Employees who must quarantine or who test positive should refer to Harvard’s coronavirus workplace policies and talk to their supervisor and/or HR representative if they have any questions.

How is contact tracing being managed at Harvard?

  • Email communication from HUHS following a positive test notification will provide guidance on notifying close contacts, including sample text for alerting close contacts via email.

What are Harvard’s isolation and quarantine guidelines?

  • Isolation guidelines are used for people with confirmed positive cases of COVID-19, while quarantine guidelines are for exposed close contacts of confirmed cases of COVID-19. For more detailed information, refer to Harvard’s current exposure, quarantine, and isolation guidance.

Should I report to Harvard positive results from my PCR or rapid home antigen test conducted outside of Harvard?

  • Per Harvard’s testing guidelines, you should report your positive result through Crimson Clear and isolate as soon as possible. If your positive result was on an antigen test, you should submit a PCR test for secondary confirmation and begin isolation until you hear from the HUHS Contact Tracing Team (you may come to campus solely to drop off a test). If your positive result was on an outside PCR test, you should begin isolation even before the HUHS Contact Tracing team emails you.

COVID Vaccines & Boosters

Is Harvard requiring COVID vaccines and/or boosters?

  • Students must be up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations according to the CDC definition. Students who fail to meet University vaccine requirements will be blocked from course registration. HUHS continues to offer COVID-19 vaccine appointments.
  • Employees, including those working remotely, must be fully vaccinated (primary series) and are strongly encouraged to be up to date according to CDC guidelines. Compliance for the primary series is still being monitored by local HR units.

Can I request an exemption?

  • Students seeking a medical or religious exemption for the vaccine and booster should complete the Student Vaccine Exemption Form  and provide the required documentation.
  • Employees who have not already claimed a medical or religious exemption, but who wish to do so, can email mrecords@huhs.harvard.edu.
  • Unvaccinated individuals who are approved for a medical or religious exemption will have more frequent COVID-19 testing requirements and may be subject to additional public health measures.

Where can I get my COVID booster?

  • Click here to view options for scheduling your booster. This page includes information about available booster clinics at Harvard and within and outside of Massachusetts.

How do I verify my booster once I’ve gotten it?

  • Click here for step-by-step guidance to verify your booster through the Harvard University Health Services Portal.

Should I wait to get my booster shot if I test positive for COVID?

  • Per HUHS guidelines, if you test positive for COVID, you should wait and get your booster after you have fully recovered from COVID and have completed isolation. This means that you have completed the isolation and masking period (10 days), your symptoms have fully resolved, and you do not have a fever. It is typically okay to get your booster 2 weeks after that.
  • If you have to wait to get your booster after Harvard’s Jan. 31, 2022 booster deadline, you should submit an exemption request to HUHS. Students should complete the Student Vaccine Exemption Form,  while employees should email mrecords@huhs.harvard.edu.

 

Monkeypox

Is Harvard monitoring the rise in monkeypox cases?

  • Harvard University Health Services (HUHS) is monitoring the rise in monkeypox cases, which prompted the World Health Organization and U.S. government to issue health emergency declarations. Click here for more information from HUHS and read more about the illness on the CDC’s monkeypox webpage and Mass General Brigham's monkeypox FAQs. 
  • Students and other HUHS patients seeking vaccine referral or evaluation for suspected monkeypox infection or exposure should contact HUHS at 617-495-5711 for phone assessment and instructions.

Masks & Face Coverings

Are masks/face coverings required on campus?

  • Masking is optional in HMS and HSDM buildings, with these noted exceptions:
    • Masks are required in classroom spaces in the Tosteson Medical Education Center (TMEC), including in the learning studios, amphitheater, and tutorial rooms. Care should be taken with regard to eating and drinking in classroom settings, with removal of masks only briefly as needed to take bites or sip liquids.
    • Masks are still required in health care facilities, including HSDM clinical facilities. Those completing isolation or quarantine are also required to wear masks.
    • If you feel the need to wear a mask for your own protection, or to protect someone close to you, you should do so. Everyone should continue carry a mask when coming to campus in case it becomes necessary to wear it.
    • Harvard will continue to monitor COVID-19 developments and will update masking requirements for the community or for certain populations when necessary.

Distancing

Are there distancing requirements in classrooms, labs, or anywhere else on campus?

  • With limited exceptions, physical distancing is no longer required indoors or outdoors. 

Travel

What are Harvard’s current COVID-19 travel requirements?

  • Click here to review Harvard’s COVID-19 travel requirements, including information on the post-travel COVID testing policy. Please note that the guidance on this page applies to Harvard-related travel. It does not apply to personal travel or to those traveling inbound to the Boston/Cambridge area for approved work or for moving into or out of on-campus housing. If you travel for personal reasons, review Harvard’s post-travel COVID testing policy.
  • International students and scholars who have questions about travel and visa concerns should visit the Harvard International Office’s COVID-19 FAQ for International Students and Scholars.

Is there guidance available for international students?

Do the travel guidelines apply to personal travel?

  • Harvard’s COVID-19 travel requirements are for Harvard-related travel only. They do not apply to personal travel or to affiliates traveling inbound to the Boston/Cambridge area for approved work or for moving into or out of on-campus housing. If you travel for personal reasons, review Harvard’s post-travel COVID testing policy.

Am I required to register my international travel?

On-Campus Activities

Are in-person meetings, events, and gatherings allowed on campus?

  • Effective March 7, 2022, HMS no longer has pandemic-imposed limitations on events and gatherings.

What is the status of the Joseph B. Martin Conference Center in the New Research Building?

  • The Joseph B. Martin Conference Center remains closed to external events due to the ongoing impact of the pandemic. Internal requests to use Conference Center space should be submitted to the Conference Center by calling 617-432-7243 or emailing alwyn_thomas@hms.harvard.edu.

Are visitors allowed on campus?

  • All visitors must be informed and abide by current University policies. COVID-19 Safety Awareness Training: Protection/Prevention Practices provides current guidance and safety practices.
  • Visitors must also be notified that Harvard has a vaccination requirement and that they should plan to be fully vaccinated before coming to campus.
  • Visitors must not come to campus if they are exhibiting symptoms, have been diagnosed with COVID-19, or have otherwise been instructed to quarantine or isolate.

Dining

What dining options are available at HMS?

  • For HMS dining options, locations, and hours, see the Dining accordion above or visit the Dining Services website.

Can I eat in my office space?

  • Yes, eating and drinking is permitted in all campus locations where food is normally allowed.

Facilities & Campus Planning

Are ventilation and air exchanges being checked and adapted as more people transition back to campus?

  • The CDC recommends several methods that can improve indoor air quality and potentially further reduce exposure to viral particles that can be used in every room type. HMS adheres to Environmental Health & Safety guidelines to ensure optimal management practices for all rooms and spaces on campus, as well as additional controls for rooms where the characteristics of the mechanical ventilation are required and where mechanical ventilation and operable windows do not exist.

Will my department/unit return to the same designated space we had prior to the pandemic?

  • Yes, you should expect to return to the same designated space you had pre-pandemic unless you hear otherwise from your manager or department/unit leader.

Human Resources

What if I am not comfortable returning to campus?

  • As more people return to campus, the health and safety of the Harvard community remains the top priority. If you have health conditions that may affect your ability to return to work on campus, please consult with your local HR office to see if a reasonable accommodation or temporary job modification (such as a change of schedule, location, or duties) could be made.

What if my manager says I have to return to work on campus, but I don’t want to or I believe the work doesn’t require it?

  • Per Harvard Human Resources guidance, employees who wish to request adjustments to their schedules or work location should connect first with their manager and then local HR to discuss their situation. In addition, Harvard’s flexwork guidelines have been updated to acknowledge this transitional period. Employees may consult these guidelines to submit a formal proposal to their manager and to document the outcome. HUCTW members may also refer to Article VI, Flexibility in the HUCTW contract for more information.

If I moved out of state, am I required to move back?

  • According to Harvard’s interim payroll policy, Harvard may directly employ individuals working in New England (Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont), California (exempt only), New York, and Maryland. Individuals not working in a Harvard-registered state or outside the U.S. must be hired using a third-party payroll provider (AllSource) or another approved payroll option. Employees working (other than incidental, informal work) outside registered payroll states are expected to either return to work in one of the registered payroll states or move to an external payroll such as AllSource.
  • Employees working in a Harvard-registered state will need to update Peoplesoft for the appropriate tax withholding, which will be proportionally allocated based on the percentage entered into PeopleSoft.
  • Harvard continues to assess expansion in additional states.
  • Human Resources is actively working with managers and their departments with employee transitions to AllSource as well as establishing specific plans for employees who are currently relocating to one of the registered states.

Can we hire employees who live out of state?

  • In order to be hired onto Harvard payroll and receive related benefits, individuals will need to be actively working in a Harvard-registered state. Individuals can be hired outside of these states through a third-party payroll provider. These individuals would not be considered employees of Harvard but on assignment at Harvard. Benefit eligibility is determined based upon employment categories.

What guidelines and policies are in place for service contractors and vendors?

  • Click here for guidance and FAQs from Environmental Health & Services related to service contractors that are working on-site, and to assist each school/unit in communicating and ensuring adherence to relevant Harvard University COVID-19 safety protocols. Hiring managers should familiarize themselves with Harvard University expectations for general EH&S compliance and COVID-19 requirements and communicate them to any service contractors working on campus by sharing the following documents prior to starting work on-site:
    • COVID-19 Service Contractor Checklist describes current COVID-19-specific requirements for service contractors and vendors working on-site.
    • Service Contractor Safety Guide describes general Harvard University EH&S compliance and safety expectations for service contractors on campus and is referenced either explicitly or implicitly in Harvard University’s contracting templates.
  • Please note that construction or renovation projects may have separate requirements. Visit COVID-19 Construction Support for more information on policies and procedures for construction projects.