As you may have heard, the CDC has published new guidance for individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 or have been exposed to an individual with COVID. This comes as North Carolina, like much of the country, is experiencing a new spike in cases due to both the Delta and Omicron variants.
The System Office has updated its reporting requirements based on these new CDC guidelines, as well as the advice provided by the UNC-Chapel Hill Environment, Health, and Safety Department (EHS), which has provided guidance to System Office throughout the COVID pandemic.
For more information on these protocols, see the UNC EHS COVID-19 website (view the Employee Health Guidance tab). As always, we encourage you to consult with your personal healthcare provider if you have questions or concerns.
Positive Test Protocol (Isolation)
Effective immediately, if an employee has tested positive for COVID-19 – regardless of vaccination status – they must:
- Notify the System Office Human Resources Employee Relations team by email at SystemER@northcarolina.edu; Human Resources will notify the employee’s direct supervisor.
- Stay home for five days; employees are expected to telework during their isolation period if they can do so.
- If they have no symptoms or any symptoms have resolved after five days, they can leave their home and return to the workplace.
- If they have a fever, they should stay home and not return to work until they are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing mediations and other symptoms have improved.
- They must continue to wear a mask around others for five additional days; the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services recommends wearing surgical masks, KN95-, or N95-type masks.
Close Contact Protocol (Quarantine)
An employee’s actions after being identified as having been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 are dependent on their vaccination status. In these cases, “close contact” means being within six feet of an individual who has tested positive for 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period.
Quarantine protocols vary based on the employee’s vaccination status:
- Fully vaccinated and received a booster shot: Employees who have received a booster shot, completed the first two Pfizer or Moderna shots within the last six months, or completed the initial J&J vaccination within the last two months must:
- Notify System Office Human Resources Employee Relations by email at SystemER@northcarolina.edu; Human Resources will notify the employee’s direct supervisor
- Report to work but must wear a mask around others for 10 days; the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services recommends wearing surgical masks, KN95-, or N95-type masks.
- Be tested five days after exposure if possible
- If they develop symptoms at any point, stay home and be tested as soon as possible. If the test is positive, begin the positive test protocol (isolation) above and notify SystemER@northcarolina.edu.
- Vaccinated but have not received a booster shot or are unvaccinated: Employees who received the first two Pfizer or Moderna shots more than six months ago and have not received a booster, completed their initial J&J vaccination more than two months ago and have not been boosted, or are unvaccinated must:
- Notify System Office Human Resources Employee Relations by email at SystemER@northcarolina.edu; Human Resources will notify the employee’s direct supervisor
- Stay home for five days and wear a mask around others for five additional days; the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services recommends wearing surgical masks, KN95-, or N95-type masks
- Be tested five days after exposure if possible
- If they develop symptoms at any point, stay home and be tested as soon as possible. If the test is positive, begin the isolation protocol above and notify SystemER@northcarolina.edu.
Under both isolation and quarantine protocols, System Office Employee Relations will follow up via email with the affected employee and their supervisor to confirm that the correct actions are being taken. In addition, System Office Employee Relations will also ask the employee who tested positive for COVID-19 to provide a list of any other System Office staff with whom he or she may have been in close contact within the previous 48 hours (if the employee was onsite during that time period) and will notify those employees by email to begin the quarantine protocol. In notifying other employees, the name of the original employee resulting in these notifications will remain confidential.
If an employee must stay home due to a positive test (isolation) or close contact (quarantine), they are expected to work remotely from home if they feel well enough to do so. If the employee is unable to work due to illness, sick leave should be recorded.
Other Reminders
Employees who are working a remote schedule must complete the COVID-19 Self-Assessment before entering the building for any reason.
While vaccinated individuals can still experience breakthrough COVID infections, evidence to date shows that these cases will most likely be mild, especially for those who have received a booster shot. By contrast, unvaccinated individuals are at high risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and even death.
Please consider getting vaccinated or boosted today. The HR Update from Dec. 21 provides information on a variety of ways to find vaccines and booster shots near you.
If you have questions, please email System Office Employee Relations at SystemER@northcarolina.edu or call Tyran Fennell, Employee Relations Program Manager, at 919-445-0491.