UNIVERSITY ACCESS HEALTH SCREENING PROCESS AND TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS
Larkin University is responding to the current worldwide outbreak of respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus that was first detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China and which has now become a world-wide pandemic. The virus has been named “SARS-CoV-2” and the disease it causes has been named “coronavirus disease 2019” (abbreviated “COVID-19”).
Larkin University moved all face to face classes to virtual instruction using online tools Tuesday, March 17 and classes remain virtual until further notice. LU also transitioned to remote work, proceeding on the assumption that we are still facing community spread of the virus throughout South Florida.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR LARKIN UNIVERSITY CAMPUS OPERATIONS
EQUITABLE OUTCOMES for all students, staff, and faculty regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or their need to refrain from in-person activities due to concerns about COVID-19.
RAPID IDENTIFICATION AND ISOLATION of COVID-19 case clusters in Larkin University communities.
PROTECTION OF INDIVIDUALS in our Larkin University community, and their family members, who are vulnerable to severe COVID-19 disease, or to harassment or discrimination.
COMMITMENT TO TRANSPARENT AND PARTICIPATORY DECISION MAKING with regards to reopening our Miami Gardens Campus with clear and consistent communication protocols.
VIGILANCE IN REGULAR REVIEW AND UPDATING OF APPROACHES according to a rapidly emerging evidence base with active monitoring by LU administration and facilities management.
Larkin University is instituting virtual instruction and other procedures described below to decrease the number of instances that require community members to gather in large groups or spend extended periods of time in close proximity with each other. These measures will being taken to help ensure the health and well-being of our students, faculty, and staff, and to decrease any potential impacts on the larger community.
Beginning July 7, Larkin University will open to students, staff and visitors in a limited capacity during the temporary operating hours of 7:30 am – 11:30 pm Monday through Friday with security being present. The campus will remain closed on the weekend until further notice.
All visitors, employees, and students must enter through the West entrance. The East entrances (1st and 2nd floor) will be closed until further notice.
The colleges will communicate the opening hours to their students, together with information about on-campus procedures and expectations. This information is also be posted at the west entrance and on the tv monitors throughout campus.
BEFORE arriving on campus
In order to promote health and safety, Larkin University is requiring all individuals to perform a daily self-check prior to coming to campus.
Below are self-check questions everyone should answer prior to arriving on campus. A questionnaire and will be required to be completed with your name and temperature as read by the no-touch thermometer once you arrive to campus:
• Have you been in close contact with a person with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID- 19?
• Have you had an unusual cough or shortness of breath?
• Have you had a sore throat or other flu-like symptoms?
• Have you had a fever of 100.0 degrees or greater in the past 72 hours?
• Have you had a loss of taste or smell?
• Have you had vomiting or diarrhea in the last 24 hours?
Anyone who fails to meet these criteria should not visit campus and should should follow-up with a health care provider and contact their college to self-report. Anyone who has a fever higher than 100.0 will be asked to leave campus and will not be permitted to return without clearance from their healthcare provider.
Additionally, any student, faculty or staff member or contingent worker has been diagnosed COVID-19 positive or exposed to someone diagnosed COVID-19 positive must report to HR or their college/student services.
If symptoms persist, any student, faculty or staff member or contingent worker must self-quarantine and not return to campus for 14 days or until they receive a negative COVID-19 test result. The negative test result needs to be either provided to HR or Student Services prior to arrival to campus.
Use of Rooms
College of Pharmacy students
104 – Maximum of 10
105 – Maximum of 5
112 – Maximum of 5
113 – Maximum of 5
College of Biomedical Sciences
122 – Maximum of 5
At any given time no more than 25 Pharmacy students and 5 Biomed students are allowed on campus.
Students need to reserve their timeslot for the following week by Friday at the latest via Dr. May (Pharmacy) or Dr. Echols (Biomed), and the allocated dates and times are strictly enforced. Security requests from both colleges a list of students attending study classes on campus the
following week. This reservation is valid only for a specific classroom and a specific timeframe. Security will be provided a list of names and times that students are permitted to be on campus. Timeframes will be strictly enforced to allow for cleaning in between sessions.
RESEARCH LAB OPERATIONS
The following guidelines apply:
– All general guidelines for entering the building apply
– All general LU COVID-19 guidelines apply.
– No more than 5 people are allowed to be present at the same time in the same lab. Students that wish to continue to work on their research need to sign a waiver that they are aware that they do come to the University on their own risk and will follow the guidelines for social distances and COVID-19 prevention strictly.
ARRIVING on campus
– Anyone coming onto campus must bring a mask or face covering and use it appropriately during the entire visit
– A Screening Checkpoint is required daily when arriving on campus if the intention is to enter the building. Therfore all students have to arrive in time and enter the buidling through the West-entrance wearing a mask.
– The screening questionnaire must be completed and handed toto security during the screening.
– Temperature will be checked with a touchless thermometer
– Anyone who fails to meet the screening question criteria or has a registered temperature of 100.0 degrees or greater will not be allowed to enter the building or participate in any activities or meetings on campus. Anyone who has a fever higher than 100.0 will be asked to leave campus and will not be permitted to return without clearance from their healthcare provider.
– At the reception and before entering the first floor students are required to sanitize their hands
– Appropriate use of masks is mandatory in all hallways and in all classrooms except if sitting alone in a room or if sitting in a classroom at least 10 feet from each other.
– In the classroom a distance of at least 6 feet has to be maintained at all times. Throughout the first floor, in the classrooms as well as in the student lounge blue marks indicate a 6 feet distance that needs to be respected.
– When using the bathroom or the student lounge, always wash or sanitize your hands before getting back to the classroom.
– If you leave the campus, you need to check out with security.
AFTER leaving campus
– Facilities and equipment will be sanitized, disinfected, and secured before a next student or student group is admitted to the same spot or classroom LU.
Please be aware that these guidlines are not only to protect you but mainly to protect our community. Compliance is not a choice but mandatory for a successful re-opening. Non-compliance means that we will be forced to close our campus again.
VISITORS OR VENDORS
Utilize the same COVID-19 self check described above.
- If a visitor or vendor responds YES to any of the questions, they may not access the Campus. They will need to reschedule their appointment for either 14 days after the onset of the symptoms or after they received a negative COVID-19 test result.
- Visitors presenting with positive responses to the questions regarding international travel, cruise ship travel, or exposure to someone diagnosed with COVID-19 will be asked to wait a minimum of 14 days before coming to any campus or site.
- If Facilities Management was notified of the visitor’s planned arrival, the host should notify Mr. Zarate that the individual may not enter.
University-sponsored international travel is prohibited for graduate students, faculty, and staff until further notice. When we consider it safe for travel to international locations to resume, we will issue further guidance. There are no specific restrictions on University-sponsored national travel, however, the University will carefully evaluate each request for urgency/necessity/health risk. If you consider traveling nationally, the request needs to be made timely and carefully discussed in detail with the respective supervisor before starting the formal approval process.
Anyone who has traveled in the past 14 days internationally is required to immediately self-report to Human Resources (Faculty and staff to Frida Musila) or Student services (all students to Johnathan May (COP) or Marti Echols (COBS), and required to self-isolate at home for 14 days, even if there are no symptoms of illness.
Any questions pertaining to student absences or coursework should be directed to the Program Director.
Questions from faculty or staff regarding absences or remote work should be directed to the appropriate Supervisor and Human Resources.
ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE FOR OUTBOUND TRAVELERS
For locations at CDC Warning Level 2, CDC Warning Level 3 and/or USDOS Level 3 or 4
For future planning, we recommend that you do not plan University-sponsored international travel during Spring and Summer 2021. While travel might eventually be possible to certain locations before January 2022, we believe that planning resources are better allocated to travel after that time.
Please note that if public health measures in other countries or the United States impact travelers, the University may be unable to help travelers return in a timely way so as to fulfill their coursework, teaching, and research obligations.
The latest information from the Florida Department of Health pertaining to cases of coronavirus disease 2019 in the state can be found at http://www.floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/COVID-19/index.html .
As the number of cases changes fast the FDOH has also set up a live dashboard. For more detail on Florida resident cases, please visit the live FDOH Dashboard at https://fdoh.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/8d0de33f260d444c852a615dc7837c86 An updated situation summery is provided by CDC at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/summary.html#situation-in-us. Note, the CDC has issued new guidance for older adults and those with severe chronic medical conditions, please see https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/specific-groups/high-risk-complications.html .
The Florida Department of Health has set up a call center to handle questions related to COVID-19: 1 (866) 779-6121 or email your questions to COVID-19@flhealth.gov.
Guide to Self-Quarantine and Self-Monitoring
Self-quarantine means remaining at home, not going to classes or work or the lab, limiting time outside of your home, and monitoring your health for 14 days after you were potentially exposed to the virus.
- Do not go to class, work, lab, or participate in any campus activities.
- Work or study from home, as possible.
- Avoid non-essential travel on or off campus. Limit shopping for food, taking walks outside, etc.
- Do not share cups, utensils, etc.
- Avoid shaking hands, hugging, kissing, etc.
- Avoid close contact (keep more than 6 feet between you and other people).
Monitoring Your Health
- Take your temperature twice a day in the morning and evening, not within an hour of eating a meal.
Call Larkin University Students Services (Dr. May for COP and Dr. Echols for COBS) or Human Resources (Frida Musila) if you have any symptoms, such as:
- A temperature reading of 100.4 F or higher.
- Cough
- Difficulty breathing
- Any flu-like symptoms.
