COVID-19 Updates
The University strongly recommends that all students, faculty, and staff be vaccinated and obtain all recommended boosters to protect themselves from COVID-19. The vaccine has been proven to be safe and extremely effective in averting serious illness or death.
Students, staff and faculty who received COVID-19 vaccinations outside of Rhode Island are asked to upload their COVID-19 vaccination dates in the Health Services patient portal. Instructions are available here.
Isolation
Students who test positive for COVID-19 will be asked to return home or to isolate themselves in their room and stay away from others until at least 24 hours after both their symptoms are getting better overall, and they have not had a fever (and are not using fever-reducing medication). The RIDOH also has additional information regarding isolation guidelines.
Updated Isolation Guidance: The updated Respiratory Virus Guidance recommends that people stay home and away from others until at least 24 hours after both their symptoms are getting better overall, and they have not had a fever (and are not using fever-reducing medication). Note that depending on the length of symptoms, this period could be shorter, the same, or longer than the previous guidance for COVID-19.
It is important to note that the guidance doesn’t end with staying home and away from others when sick. The guidance encourages added precaution over the next five days after time at home, away from others, is over. Since some people remain contagious beyond the “stay-at-home” period, a period of added precaution using prevention strategies, such as taking more steps for cleaner air, enhancing hygiene practices, wearing a well-fitting mask, keeping a distance from others, and/or getting tested for respiratory viruses can lower the chance of spreading respiratory viruses to others.
Masking on campus
The University of Rhode Island will, based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance and best practices, no longer require community members to wear masks indoors on our campuses.
While wearing masks in indoor areas is now optional, there are people in our community who will continue to wear them. We encourage people to respect their choice. Please also stay home from work or class if you are sick. When people stay home, they help prevent the spread of illness on campus and allow themselves the opportunity to recover.
The University reserves the right to reinstate masking restrictions based on the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention and Rhode Island Department of Health guidance and conditions on campus and in the community.
At-home test kits
At-home test kits are available for no cost at Health Services for students at the URI Pharmacy. If you are not feeling well, please be sure to put a mask on as you enter the building and proceed to the pharmacy. One test per student with student ID.
Free at-home COVID-19 tests from the government are no longer available.
Faculty and staff who are symptomatic and/or exposed can contact their primary care provider or visit an urgent care center. Staff and faculty members who test positive for the COVID-19 virus should notify their supervisors. Faculty and staff should also notify their primary care providers, particularly if they are immunocompromised or at risk for severe disease, to determine whether they are candidates for antiviral medication.