As Winter Break comes to a close, we expect many individuals are preparing to return to campus for work and other scheduled activities on Monday, January 3.
While USC Housing will open as scheduled, please remember that the first week of classes will be conducted remotely and in-person instruction will resume Tuesday, January 18. Students who are returning to campus from break have the option to delay a return to campus until shortly before the start of in-person classes on that date.
Follow the instructions for travel-related testing from the Dec. 28 message, and obtain a booster dose if you are eligible and have not yet done so. Upload your booster documentation in the “upload documents” section of MySHR.
Due to current demand for testing during this current COVID-19 surge, we advise the community of the following recommendations, as listed below.
TESTING ON CAMPUS
If you are returning to campus this week and testing:
Peak access times for MySHR (to schedule testing) is expected to be highest on Monday, January 3 (and again on Monday, January 10 & Tuesday, January 18), from the morning through the afternoon. High access volume may result in system unavailability for some users.
- Accessing MySHR during the weekend, and evenings after 6 PM are recommended.
- If you are testing weekly, schedule Wed-Fri as your regular testing days, when scheduling demands are lighter.
- If you are unable to secure an appointment in MySHR in advance, you may use walk-up testing at the sites; DO continue to try and schedule an appointment through your phone, even as you are walking over, as this will pre-load your patient data and make your testing process faster and easier.
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TESTING POSITIVE
Individuals with high-risk medical conditions should make sure their health care provider is aware of this medical history when discussing their COVID-19 symptoms and diagnosis.
If you have tested positive during Winter Break with results from outside of USC, please upload a photo or scan of the results into MySHR (in “upload documents”) and complete the contact tracing form. Uploading your positive result, or a photo of your home testing kit result, AND completing the contact tracing form will automatically exempt you from surveillance testing for 90 days once it is reviewed by our staff. This ensures your Trojan Check will permit you access to campus.
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Note on isolation and quarantine duration: The recently revised isolation period is a minimum of 5 days from onset of symptoms. Students and employees may be advised by USC Student Health that they can return to campus on Day 6 if their symptoms are improving, they have been fever-free for 24 hours AND a specific diagnostic testing (antigen, NAAT, or LAMP, if available) is negative. They must continue to exercise caution and wear a well-fitted mask for 10 days and monitor for symptoms for the full duration. See chart for updated quarantine and isolation requirements.
For students who test positive and do not have a home isolation option, isolation arrangements can be made through the university.
Individuals who are recovering from a current COVID-19 infection who have not yet received a booster can receive their booster dose as soon as their isolation period ends.
If you have questions related to COVID-19 testing, contact the COVID-19 Response Center (until 7 PM daily) at 213-740-6291, covid19@usc.edu.