COVID-19 Center

Current Status

last updated: 01/12/2023

At the beginning of 2023, the state of Rhode Island announced another uptick in COVID-19 cases. Based on this and on information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the university reminds everyone of healthy practices to maintain a safe learning and living environment on our campus: anyone who feels ill is advised to stay home and contact Health Services or their healthcare provider. CDC recommends that people in "high" counties wear high-quality masks while in crowded, indoor public settings. (Please note: this is a recommendation, not a requirement.)

The university continues to strongly encourage COVID-19 booster shots as soon as an individual is eligible following the final dose of their initial COVID-19 vaccine series. Any unvaccinated member of the JWU community is required to submit a medical or religious exemption. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advise that vaccines remain the best public health measure to protect people from COVID-19, slow transmission, and reduce the likelihood of new variants emerging.

Mask-wearing, regardless of vaccination status, is optional and no longer required inside or outside buildings on campus. However, anyone who feels more comfortable wearing a mask (KN95 recommended) is fully supported in doing so. Masks are still required in Health Services offices. Students, faculty and staff should still carry a mask on them at all times. You can find more on which masks work best and what is recommended here (updated by CDC January 2022).

The COVID Health Questionnaire will be available but is no longer required for entry into classes or buildings.

Please note: The COVID Health Questionnaire and masks are still required for entry into Charlotte Campus Health Services.

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Daily Check In Information by Campus Protecting Yourself COVID-19 Apps

Information For Me

Students

JWU continues to actively monitor the COVID-19 pandemic as the university works to maintain the student experience.

Parents

During this rapidly evolving situation, the guidance the university has been receiving from federal and local governments has been continuously updated.

Faculty

JWU is committed to sharing the changing guidance it receives from federal, state and local officials with faculty as they prepare for and execute classwork during the semester

Staff

The university continues to receive guidance and updates from federal, state and local officials, which in turn impacts our decisions & campus operations.

Health & Safety

Johnson & Wales University remains committed to mitigating the risks of COVID-19 and maintaining a positive campus community and online environment for living, learning and working.

Learn More About Health & Safety

Support The Overall Well-being of JWU Campuses

All JWU community members must follow these guidelines each and every day.

Read the COVID-19 Conduct Protocol

COVID-19 Updates By Campus

Providence

Charlotte

“We have found many creative and fun ways to stay connected and engaged ... Let’s do our part to keep our campuses open and keep each other safe.”

- Chancellor Mim L. Runey, LP.D.

Read the Chancellor’s Message

Universitywide FAQs

What is the university's protocol?

The university is recommending but not requiring booster shots for students, faculty, & staff as they are eligible. The university continues to follow state guidance in terms of mask-wearing. Masking is a great way to reduce the transmission of all viruses, and masks are still required in our on-campus Health Services offices and counseling.

What is the guidance for wearing a mask while on campus?

Mask-wearing, regardless of an individual’s vaccination status, is optional on our campus and no longer required inside or outside buildings. Please be advised that anyone who feels more comfortable wearing a mask (a KN95 mask is recommended) on campus is supported in doing so. We also encourage all students, faculty and staff to continue carrying masks on them. Please note: the university still requires masks in Health Services offices.

Can I do an at-home test?

You can.

Once you've taken an at-home test, here's what you should do:

Take a picture of the test strip.
- If there is room on your test strip, write your name and the date you took the test on it.
- If there isn’t room on the test strip, write just the date you took the test on the test strip. Then write your name on a piece of paper and take a picture of both the test strip and the paper with your information on it in one photo.
Submit your photo to Health Services via the Medicat Portal
- Go to jwu.medicatconnect.com > Uploads > Select the photo of your test and information > 2019 Novel Coronavirus > Upload

If you are a student on the Providence Campus and your result is positive, call Health Services at 401-598-1104 or 401-598-1151. Health Services will instruct you on quarantine/isolation guidelines and assist you with any questions you may have. Positive or negative, you should also submit your result to the Rhode Island Department of Health by going to https://portal.ri.gov/gettested/s/selftest?language=en_US and filling out the required fields.

If you are a student on the Charlotte Campus and your result is positive, email Health Services (hcs.clt@jwu.edu) with your best contact information and any information about symptoms, course of illness, and contacts. Health Services will contact you by phone to provide instructions on quarantine/isolation guidelines and assist you with any questions you may have.

*This does not apply to JWU employees (faculty and staff) who are unvaccinated. They must continue to be tested on-campus or in another monitored testing situation.

How can I upload off-site test results to share with the university?

Once you have your test results from either a medical provider or testing site (or an at-home test), you should:

Submit a photo of those results to Health Services via the Medicat Portal
- Go to jwu.medicatconnect.com > Uploads > Select the photo of your test and information > 2019 Novel Coronavirus > Upload

What is the university's requirement on COVID-19 booster shots?

At this time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) maintains that vaccines are still the best public health measure to protect people from COVID-19, slow transmission, and reduce the likelihood of new variants emerging. Right now, about 95 percent of our Providence campus population is fully vaccinated. Boosters are still an important part of this process and are strongly encouraged as you are eligible for them.

Students are required to upload their medical records of their COVID-19 vaccination into the Medicat Student Patient Portal. The university will not accept student vaccination records via email.

To upload medical records verifying COVID-19 vaccinations, visit jwu.medicatconnect.com and follow these steps:

Enter your JWU log in
Once the portal is open, click Upload
Select 2019 Novel Coronavirus (Covid 19), NAA (Third Party) from the drop down menu
To upload take a photo or screenshot of your vaccination card with your phone, email that to yourself, open your email up on your computer, then you can drag/drop or browse for the file that you would then upload to the portal.

Faculty and staff are required to provide Human Resources with a copy of their vaccination card.

Anyone who has been granted an exemption from this requirement for medical or religious reasons will continue to be required to go through sentinel testing.