When a Student Tests Positive for COVID-19
Students should understand that despite theirs and the College’s best efforts, there is no guarantee that FSC’s on-campus experience will be free of COVID-19. Returning to campus for the spring 2021 semester is an acknowledgment that this risk exists.
When COVID-19 cases and possible cases develop on campus, the College will respond quickly and transparently to protect the health and safety of the campus community. This includes enacting isolation, quarantine and testing protocols, communications to affected individuals, contact tracing, and more.
Students who become symptomatic for COVID-19 or receive positive tests must immediately contact Campus Safety at 863.680.5010 for isolation or quarantine assistance and information about next steps.
Students must isolate when they:
- Test positive for COVID-19.
- Become symptomatic for COVID-19.
Students with Positive Tests
- Students who receive positive tests must immediately contact Campus Safety at 863.680.5010 for assistance and information about next steps.
- Students who test positive for COVID-19 must isolate until cleared by a medical professional to return to normal campus activity.
- Students living in College-owned housing will not be allowed to remain in their regular campus residence during isolation or quarantine.
- The College expects that in-state students who need to isolate or quarantine will return home to do so, as FSC will have limited facilities to house quarantined students.
- Students who can return home are encouraged to do so. The College understands the travel challenges associated with doing so, and will accommodate students in on-campus quarantine space as long as space remains available.
- The College has currently reserved isolation and quarantine spaces both on- and off-campus.
- Students who isolate or quarantine will not be able to bring emotional support animals with them and must arrange to house them separately when isolating or quarantining in College-supervised accommodations.
- Students who test positive will identify all areas where they were physically present within three days prior to the onset of symptoms.
- If there are no symptoms, the student will identify where they were present from the known or estimated exposure date.
- The College will sanitize those areas immediately.
- Students in College-supervised isolation or quarantine will be provided food, medical checks, counseling, and other services as needed.
- College staff members will be assigned to monitor students who are in isolation and quarantine.
- The College will follow local, state, and federal guidelines for contact tracing and notifying individuals who may have been exposed to COVID-19 positive students.
- In accordance with privacy laws, the College cannot personally identify infected persons.
- Faculty will work with students who must isolate or quarantine to ensure academic progress continues.
Students Exposed to a Positive Case
- Students who have been exposed to a COVID-19 positive individual may be required to quarantine until cleared to return to campus (for commuters, this means quarantining off campus until cleared to return; for residential students, this means moving to our designated isolation/quarantine space).
- A student who has close contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19 should immediately contact Campus Safety at 863.680.5010 for quarantine assistance and information about next steps.
- The College expects that in-state students who need to isolate or quarantine will return home to do so, as FSC will have limited facilities to house quarantined students.
- Students who can return home are encouraged to do so. The College understands the travel challenges associated with doing so, and will accommodate students in on-campus quarantine space as long as space remains available.
- The College has currently reserved isolation and quarantine spaces both on- and off-campus.
- Students who isolate or quarantine will not be able to bring emotional support animals with them and must arrange to house them separately when quarantining in College-supervised accommodations.
- Students in College-supervised isolation or quarantine will be provided food, medical checks, counseling, and other services as needed.
- College staff members will be assigned to monitor students who are in isolation or quarantine.
- Faculty will work with students who must quarantine to ensure academic progress continues.
Contact Tracing
To help limit the spread of COVID-19 on our campus and ensure the safety of our community, the College has partnered with Rapid-Trace, a local firm aiding businesses and institutions with contact tracing following positive COVID-19 tests.
Rapid-Trace will provide contact tracers who will work collaboratively with the Health Center and the College to notify you in the event that you have had close contact with someone with a confirmed case of COVID-19. Students may also self-report a positive test or exposure to COVID-19 by calling Rapid-Trace at 813.699.3551 or emailing selfreport@rapid-trace.com.
With Rapid-Trace, we will be able to identify and inform people who have contracted the virus and those in contact with confirmed cases, so they can take the necessary steps to prevent further spread. Students are required to participate honestly and completely with our contact tracing efforts and Rapid-Trace personnel.
Faculty and staff who become infected with COVID-19 should contact their immediate supervisor or Human Resources at HR@flsouthern.edu, the Rapid-Trace self-report line at 813-699-3551, or email selfreport@rapid-trace.com. Rapid-Trace and Florida Southern College are committed to keeping our community members safe and offering support in the event of a positive case or close contact. If after business hours, please notify Rapid-Trace using the self-report line at 813-699-3551 or email selfreport@rapid-trace.com.