• Employees presenting COVID-19 symptoms will be instructed not to report to the workplace. Employees will be directed to report illness to their supervisor and Human Resources department.  Employees will be advised to immediately seek medical guidance. Returning to the worksite will only be possible once the symptoms have significantly improved and the employee has been fever-free for 72 consecutive hours without any anti-fever medications.   
• SUNY Orange will implement a non-punitive leave policy for those impacted by COVD-19.
• Employees presenting COVID-19 symptoms and having been tested for COVID-19, will be advised not to report to work. Return to on-site work will be possible once symptoms have significantly improved and there is no fever for 72 consecutive hours without any anti-fever medications.  Human Resources will advise employees who have been in close proximity with an individual that exhibits symptoms to work remotely until test results are confirmed. 
• Employees who test positive for COVID-19 must self-isolate in accordance with Orange County Department of Health (OCDOH) guidelines or until their physician clears them to return to the workplace). Human Resources will immediately inform the supervisor that the employee will not be reporting to work.  However, supervisors should not share this information with others. 
• Employees that are quarantined by the Orange County Department of Health (OCDOH) will not be permitted to report to work but will be allowed to work remotely if their work allows it. If quarantine is extended beyond the initial guidelines set forth by the Orange County Department of Health, the employee should contact Human Resources. 
• Human Resources will communicate with local health departments regarding positive COVID-19 test results or suspected cases
• Human Resources will gather preliminary case investigation data, including possible contacts and provide this information to public health department 
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) assistance information will be provided to all employees, and information will also be available via a link on the College’s COVID-19 webpages.  
• Human Resources will partner with public health officials to ensure that students and employees adhere to recommended quarantine timelines
• Human Resources will ensure compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines, record-keeping and reporting obligations.

The Wellness Center team will adhere to protocols for the referral, tracing and isolation of students and staff who are exhibiting COVID-19-related symptoms or with confirmed diagnoses. Any plan should, at minimum, include:

• Direct and immediate communication with the OCDOH and community regarding cases and how the College responded
• The Wellness Center staff will collaborate with local health departments to resolve any issues related to students who test positive for COVID-19 and currently attend classes
• The College will follow Orange County Department of Health (OCDOH) protocols for communicating with students and staff who have come into close/sustained contact with confirmed case
• Creating and utilizing campus public health teams to evaluate and recommend action on potential problem areas on campus, and to assess and improve the college’s capacity for testing and tracing
• Faculty and support staff will work with students who become ill and/or quarantined to support the student’s resumption or continued participation in instructional activities; students may request a medical withdrawal from one or more courses if they are unable to continue participating in instructional activities
• College services and offices will be accessible to ill and/r quarantined students by phone, email, and via live Zoom calls.  All student services, academic support, library services, tutoring, technology support, accessibility services, wellness support, business office functions, and financial aid services will be accessible to students remotely. 

Online and remote learning support and resources will be communicated to students via video, live Zoom sessions, and through a Student Success Toolkit in the Blackboard Learning Management System, in which all students are enrolled. 

In the event that a student must be quarantined, student supports will be accessible and delivered remotely.  College services and offices will be accessible to quarantined students by phone, email, and via live Zoom calls.  All student services, academic support, library services, tutoring, technology support, accessibility services, wellness support, business office functions, and financial aid services will be accessible remotely to students under quarantine.

Reports from employees and students, that have been on a campus, that they have been exposed, infected or presumed positive to COVID19 shall be reported immediately to the Orange County Department of Health (OCDOH) and necessary information from College records shared with OCDOH upon request.

The College will assist the local and state Health Departments with tracing, tracking and reporting of cases, and those notified through the contact tracing process will be asked to:

• Self-quarantine at home, in accordance with timelines established by the Orange County Department of Health (OCDOH), is required for any employee/student who has a confirmed exposure to a positive COVID-19 individual per OCDOH protocols. They will be notified by the OCDOH. For instances where a student or employee resides outside of Orange County, the College will work with the health department in the home jurisdiction of that individual

The SUNY Orange Wellness Center will be notified by the Orange County DOH of all confirmed student cases that have been on campus during their infectious period per contact tracing investigation.

SUNY Orange liaison’s designated to maintain communication with the OCDOH as follows:

• Employee Contact: Iris Martinez-Davis, AVP of Human Resources
  Title IX Coordinator (845) 341- 4662
• Student Contact: Susan Corbett, RN
  Wellness Center (845) 341-4870

Employees that are quarantined by the Orange County Health Department will not be permitted to report to work but will be allowed to work remotely if their work allows it. If quarantine is extended beyond the initial guidelines set forth by the Orange County Department of Health, the employee should contact Human Resources. 

Human Resources will partner with public health to ensure that students and employees adhere to recommended quarantine timelines. Human Resources will communicate with local health departments regarding positive COVID-19 test results or suspected cases.

SUNY Orange will follow CDC, State DOH, and local health department recommendations regarding the use of personal protective equipment. Updated regulations will be reviewed regularly to ensure that the College is compliant with the most recent guidance. Masks will be required (and additional PPE as needed) when on SUNY Orange campuses (except when alone in an office, or when outdoors and when social distancing can be maintained) and PPE will be provided by the College to students and employees who arrive without masks.

Distribution of PPE will be through a new work order process under developed specifically for this purpose. The new system will be operational prior to the start of the Spring semester, and PPE will also be available via the Safety and Security Offices (for ad-hoc pickup by students and employees as needed). The College delivery van will also maintain a stockpile of PPE for response to emergent needs as it makes its rounds on campus).

Signage outlining protective measures, including the requirement that masks must be worn in all buildings will be posted in high visibility locations (e.g. building entrances, restrooms, and hallways). The College maintains an inventory of soap, hand sanitizer, paper towels, disinfecting wipes, masks, gloves, aprons, face shields, and other commonly used PPE.

All rooms in each of the buildings associated with the critical on-campus instruction and support services were evaluated prior to the Fall semester and the same processes will be employed to assure proper social distancing in all classrooms and laboratories scheduled for use this Spring.

In order to accomplish the six-foot rule, it became necessary to reduce the number of people in nearly every active classroom/lab by an average of 50%.  Extra seating or furniture that was not be needed was removed and stored elsewhere. 

To assist students and staff in following the six-foot distance rule, markers were placed on the table or desk designating that they are to only sit where the marker is located.  This requires instruction and oversight by the instructor at the start and, throughout the semester.

Techniques employed to ensure safety are:

• All students, employees and visitors are required to wear a mask or face covering over nose and mouth at all times when indoors on either campus, including in classrooms, conference rooms and other spaces, even when six-feet social distancing exists. Exceptions to mask wearing include when students are eating meals on campus while seated and social distancing is appropriately enforced, or by themselves. Faculty and staff are likewise exempt when alone in their office or other space.
• Masks must be worn on outdoor campus grounds if social distancing cannot be maintained, but it is recommended to wear masks at all times, even when social distancing can be maintained.
• Rearrange instructional space, furniture, and lab stations to ensure distancing requirements.
• Move lab activities to alternate larger space in which adequate distancing can be maintained.
• Reduce capacity in each existing lab / learning space.
  • Schedule time spent in labs to ensure an equitable rotation of student lab time with instructors; e.g. Group A, Group B.
  • If resources are available, outfit additional spaces with critical lab furniture and equipment to provide more space in which to operate.
• In disciplines that require work in pairs, full PPE will be utilized and provided to employees and students.
• Where possible, content moved to online formats and / or create video recordings to communicate with students remotely (Lecture Capture).
• When classes need to be addressed as a large group, use largest classroom spaces available (Reference: Seating Capacities Analysis).

In support of the phased restart plan being developed for Spring 2021, SUNY Orange will implement the following practices to re-start campus operations:

• Return to work will be phased in. Increases in workforce levels will coincide with the College’s ability to monitor employee and student health.
• Hours will be staggered in all departments.
• Faculty, staff, and students will be educated on best practices for hygiene, physical distancing, and proper cough/sneeze etiquette. Human Resources will monitor compliance with best practices throughout the institution.
• A daily health screening platform (#CampusClear app) has been implemented. Students and employees are required to self-disclose any symptoms of COVID-19. Anyone self-disclosing symptoms will be instructed not to come to campus.
• SUNY Orange will provide personal protective items and training on their use.
• Operations continuity plans will be developed by all departments. Those who can work effectively from home will be the last to return to campus.

Custodial services are a critical component of the College’s mitigation strategy. All of the CDC’s cleaning and disinfecting guidelines will be followed. The custodial staff will assist in making the College’s facilities compliant with social distancing guidelines. Staff will be required to wear PPE, which will be provided by the College as needed.

Areas scheduled for use during the Spring semester will be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected (instructional spaces, labs, restrooms, hallways, handrails, doorknobs, light switches, stairwells, etc.) prior to the beginning of the Spring semester.

Once the College reopens, a schedule of disinfecting high-touch areas a minimum of once daily or once per shift will be implemented in addition to normal cleaning protocols. The details of the cleaning and disinfecting schedule will follow CDC guidelines. Custodial staff will be available to respond to unscheduled clean-ups and/or disinfecting tasks.

The Wellness Center is open to all students, free of charge. Its programs are designed to promote health education and wellness for our campus community. The College’s mental health and nursing services are also available to all students. 

The Wellness Center will follow and monitor the guidance of the American College Health Association, CDC, the New York State Department of Health, SUNY, and the local health department. The Wellness Center will provide multiple means of educating the College community on how to stay safe and on infection control procedures. Mental health efforts will be aligned with ACHA COVID-19 reopening guidelines. Mental health resources will be shifted to tele-mental health and wellness programming.

Students and employees are also encouraged to utilize community-based mental health resources, including: ReachOut SUNY. Thriving Campus and Middle Earth (from the University at Albany). The New York State Crisis Text Line can be reached by texting GOT5 to 741741. Free online QPR suicide prevention training for students, faculty, and staff (contact visit the Wellness Center website for more information).