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Covid-19 Protocol, Resources and Information
Current Covid-19 Guidelines
As new Covid-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths remain low in Denver and across the state, Metropolitan State University of Denver has no mandatory Covid-19 protocols or requirements. The decision to pause the requirements was made in consultation with state and local public health officials and with input from stakeholders across campus, following successful prevention and mitigation efforts including the administration of more than 36,000 vaccine doses at the Health Center at Auraria.
The suspension includes all Covid-19 vaccine requirements for students and employees as well as any related registration holds for student non-compliance. Students and employees will no longer need to show proof of receiving the vaccine or apply for an exemption. No further action is needed from either current students or employees at this time.
If public health conditions demand, requirements may be reinstituted at any time. To safeguard your health, please stay up to date on your Covid-19 vaccinations.
As of Sept. 29, 2022:
- There is no requirement for those testing positive, or for employees who become aware of a positive case, to call or report a positive case to the Health Center at Auraria. In response to changing guidance from public-health agencies, the Health Center at Auraria will no longer conduct contact tracing on campus.
- However, faculty and staff members should contact the Health Center if they encounter five or more Covid-19-positive students in the same class or five or more Covid-19-positive employees in the same work environment within a two-week period. In this case, call the Health Center at 303-615-9999 and request a call back from the medical director. The Health Center will work closely with the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment in determining whether any intervention is necessary.
- Students and employees who are returning to campus after any type of respiratory illness should wear a mask while on campus until all symptoms are fully resolved.
- Students and employees should report any absences to their instructor(s) and/or supervisor, as is routinely expected for all absences due to an illness. Students may return to class without a doctor’s note, according to the guidelines in Items 5 and 6 below.
- Anyone who tests positive for Covid-19 should contact their medical provider for consultation if desired or if medically necessary.
- Anyone who receives a positive test result should isolate for a minimum of five days. Isolation means withdrawing from all contact with others and isolating alone to prevent the spread of the disease. If after five days symptoms are resolving and there has been no fever for 24 hours, it is safe to resume normal activities on Day Six. However, a mask should be worn during reengagement with others on days six through 10 to ensure maximum safety for the campus community.
- If after Day Five symptoms still prevail without positive signs of resolution and/or a fever persists, then isolation should continue until there is no fever for 24 hours and symptoms are noticeably resolving. A mask should be worn for five days after reengagement commences to ensure maximum safety for the campus community.
- Consider therapeutic treatments through your primary-care physician or through the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
Get your flu vaccine and Covid-19 booster
The Health Center at Auraria strongly recommends that all students, faculty members and staff members be fully vaccinated and boosted for Covid-19 and flu (unless medically contra-indicated).
The center provides free flu vaccinations and fall 2022 Covid-19 omicron booster vaccines for all MSU Denver, Community College of Denver, University of Colorado Denver and Auraria Higher Education Center students, faculty members and staff members.
Roadrunner Expectations
Regardless of these changes, Roadrunners are expected to:
- Stay up to date on Covid-19 vaccinations and all immunizations to safeguard both personal and public health
- Stay home when feeling ill, whether with COVID-19 or not, to recover and prevent community spread
- Contact the Health Center at Auraria with questions or concerns. The Student CARE Team is also available to assist students should there be any concerns.
- Remain flexible, as certain protocols may be reinstated as public health conditions necessitate
- Be kind and act respectfully around others by continuing to carry a mask and be prepared to wear it when asked
Elle Heeg Miller gives Rowdy his vaccination at the 5th Street Garage vaccination site.
Get Vaccinated & Boosted
Covid-19 primary vaccine doses and boosters are available free of charge on campus. Visit the Health Center at Auraria Covid-19 webpage for more information on eligibility, scheduling and more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Updated August 22
Covid-19 primary vaccine doses and boosters are available at the Health Center at Auraria, Monday-Thursday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visit the Health Center at Auraria Covid-19 webpage for more information on eligibility, scheduling and more.
- Schedule a testing appointment through this link only.
- All testing and vaccination operations in the 5th Street Garage are closed.
Please note:
- Covid-19 vaccines will be provided by the Health Center at Auraria at no cost to students, employees and immediate family members and/or household members only.
- Covid-19 testing for all students, employees and immediate family members and/or household members will no longer be covered at 100% after July 15. Patients are asked to verify their insurance coverage to determine their cost.
- Testing and vaccination services will no longer be offered to members of the broader community unless they are family/household members of a campus constituent.
Get vaccinated, get boosted, wear a more protective KN95/N95 mask, wash your hands frequently, perform a health assessment daily and do not come to campus if you have any symptoms.
If you are symptomatic or have been exposed to Covid-19, stay home until you receive test results, which should be within 48 hours.
For optimal at-home testing results, test on the second day of symptom onset.
Report positive test results immediately using the Covid-19 Positive Case Reporting Form.
Please note:
- Covid-19 vaccines will be provided by the Health Center at Auraria at no cost to students, employees and immediate family members and/or household members only.
- Covid-19 testing for all students, employees and immediate family members and/or household members will no longer be covered at 100% after July 15. Patients are asked to verify their insurance coverage to determine their cost.
- Testing and vaccination services will no longer be offered to members of the broader community unless they are family/household members of a campus constituent.
If a student or employee receives a positive Covid-19 lab result, they should notify their advisor or supervisor immediately and can seek care at the Health Center at Auraria.
Details on protocol are available on the Health Center at Auraria’s Covid FAQs page.
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- Perform a Daily Health-Assessment and do not come to campus if you have ANY symptoms unless it’s to obtain a Covid-19 test.
- Schedule a free test at the Health Center at Auraria here.
- Talk to your advisor or supervisor. If a student or employee receives a positive Covid-19 lab result, they should notify their advisor or supervisor immediately.
- Students should connect with faculty on how to best stay up to date with class syllabus and course requirements. The Student CARE Team is also available to assist students should there be any concerns.
If an employee isn’t feeling well, but can and is willing to perform work, remote work should be considered. Employees are encouraged to work directly with their supervisors. If the employee is unable to perform work, they may take sick leave or if the absence is Covid-19 related, employees should contact Amanda Berry, employee benefits manager at [email protected] to discuss available leave options under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.
We ask all supervisors to allow employees to get the Covid-19 booster during work hours, with little to no notice. Regarding documentation of this leave, none will be required, and no leave time needs to be recorded on one’s leave report.
If an employee is not feeling well after having received the booster shot and is unable to work their scheduled work schedule, employees are able to use their available sick leave.
Students-employees have emergency paid sick leave. The Healthy Families Workplaces Act (HFWA) is a law that requires MSU Denver to provide employees with Public Health Emergency Leave (PHEL) for specified reasons related to a declared public health emergency, effective Jan. 1, 2021. MSU Denver will provide employees up to 80 hours of paid leave (prorated for a part-time employee) during the entirety of a public health emergency even if such public health emergency is amended, extended, restated or prolonged, and until four weeks after the public health emergency leave ends. This leave is provided to all employees of MSU Denver, in addition to their normal accruals of annual and sick leave, if applicable. Employees should reach out to Amanda Berry in Human Resources at [email protected] with questions.
We are closely monitoring all departments for any disruptions and will make necessary adjustments if warranted.
We are in close communication with city health officials and experts and will continue to follow their guidance as well as trends in cases, hospitalizations and deaths.
There are no current restrictions or mandatory public health protocol on University events or activities.
MSU Denver will follow city, state and federal guidelines outlined by public health experts.
The University has a plan in place to move classes and operations online if necessary.
Yes.
At least two months after the most recent dose.
Three months after diagnosis of Covid-19.
No, these immunizations are offered free of charge. There is no need to bring your insurance card.
Yes, these terms can be used interchangeably. The CDC describes the bivalent Covid-19 vaccine as including a component of the original virus strain to provide broad protection against Covid-19 and a component of the omicron variant to provide better protection against Covid-19 caused by the omicron variant. The combination aims to increase cross-protection against multiple variants. The bivalent vaccine is the only booster shot currently available that is approved by the CDC.
Importantly, the bivalent booster is different from previous boosters and protects against current prevalent strains.