YORK, Pa. — Two members of the York College community are in isolation after testing positive for COVID-19, a college spokesperson confirmed Tuesday.
The cases are unrelated, the spokesperson said.
York College's Health Services staff conducted contact tracing and notified anyone who has been in close contact with the infected individuals, the school said. Close contact is defined as someone who was within six feet of a person who has tested positive for COVID-19 for more than 15 minutes.
Those who have been identified as close contacts must go into quarantine for 14 days, the college said.
The college said it has followed the quarantine and isolation policy it established in placing the community members in isolation. That policy mandates that any student or staff member who tests positive must leave campus return to their permanent address, where they must stay for 10 days or until cleared by a healthcare provider to return.
Students or staff who are unable to travel are placed in a designated residence hall on the campus and are barred from entering any other building on campus until cleared to do so.
Students and staff in isolation must:
- avoid contact with others (except health care providers),
- stay home in a separate room away from other people in the home
- if possible, use a separate bathroom from others
- stay away from seniors and people with chronic medical conditions
The college's policy says in order to return from isolation, the student or staff member must meet one of the following criteria:
Test-based Strategy
No fever for at least 72 hours (3 full days) without fever-reducing medication
Two consecutive negative PCR tests separated by at least 24 hours. If PCR tests are given by a healthcare provider from outside YCP, students must show proof of negative tests to return to campus.
Symptom Based Strategy
Must remain fever free for 72 hours (3 full days) without fever-reducing medication
Even asymptomatic students, who show no symptoms, must stay in isolation for 10 days from the positive test results day. Day of positive test is day #0
Students identified as close contacts must separate themselves from others for a minimum of 14 days, the college said. Students are expected to leave campus as soon as possible and stay at their permanent address during the quarantine period. If a student cannot travel home due to extenuating circumstances, the student will be temporarily housed in a designated residence hall on campus.
Quarantining students must IMMEDIATELY notify their instructors to set up remote instruction so they can continue their coursework. They may not go to work, class, clinicals, extracurricular activities. They may not visit any campus buildings or attend any campus events.
While under quarantine, students must self-evaluate their health two times a day, including taking their temperature and possible symptoms. If they run a fever or begin to have symptoms, they must immediately contact the YCP Health Center.
