FAQs

What are the symptoms and how is it spread?

Symptoms may be flu-like, ranging from mild to serious, and include:

• Fever.
• Cough.
• Difficulty breathing.
• Chills.
• Headache.
• Sore throat.
• Muscle pain.
• Loss of taste or smell.

COVID-19 is spread mainly through close contact from person to person. Some people without symptoms can spread the virus.

More information on how the virus spreads is available from the CDC.

What is the risk?

The CDC considers COVID-19 a public health concern based on current information. The CDC has identified the following as at higher risk for serious illness with COVID-19:

• Older adults.

• People who have serious chronic medical conditions like:

  • Heart disease.
  • Diabetes.
  • Lung disease.

The CDC advises that the best way to protect against infection is to get vaccinated and avoid being exposed to COVID-19. Here are actions to help prevent the spread of all respiratory viruses:

• Get vaccinated against COVID-19.
• Wear a face covering when around others.
• Keep a physical distance of 6 feet between you and others.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

Students

If you have symptoms of COVID-19, contact University Health Service at 734-764-8320 and isolate.

If you believe you have had sustained close contact (within six feet of a case for a total of 15 minutes or more in 24 hours) with a person who has COVID-19 and you are unvaccinated, you should quarantine and contact UHS for testing. If you are vaccinated and asymptomatic, you should get tested three to five days after the exposure and wear a mask in all indoor public areas for 14 days or until you obtain negative test results.

Check out the graphic for on-campus students or off-campus students on what to do based on potential COVID-19 scenarios. Check out this PDF on How to get a COVID-19 test at U-M.

The CDC offers the following guidance on isolation and quarantine. If you test positive for COVID-19, you must follow CDC guidelines to complete the isolation process:

• isolate for 10 days after your test date,
• be fever-free for at least 24 hours (without using fever-reducing medications), and
• see improvement of other symptoms.

On- and off-campus quarantine and isolation spaces will be identified for use by any U-M student who needs them. You also may choose to isolate or quarantine with your family at home. More details about student quarantine and isolation are available here.

Faculty & Staff

If you become ill with symptoms associated with COVID-19, isolate and contact the Occupational Health Services (OHS) hotline by calling 734-764-8021 to arrange testing through Michigan Medicine. You can also seek testing through your medical provider. If you have tested positive, contact OHS and do not come to work. This applies to employees on all campuses and in Michigan Medicine.

If you test positive for COVID-19, you must follow CDC guidelines and directions received from Work Connections and/or EHS to:

• isolate for 10 days after your test date,
• be fever-free for at least 24 hours (without using fever-reducing medications), and
• see improvement of other symptoms.

If you test positive but never develop symptoms, you can discontinue isolation 10 days after the date of your first positive test.

If you are unvaccinated and notified through contact tracing of exposure to a positive COVID-19 case, you must follow CDC guidelines on how to quarantine for 10 days after your last contact with the case. You should check your temperature twice a day, and watch for symptoms of COVID-19.

If you are fully vaccinated and asymptomatic and you are notified through contact tracing of an exposure to a positive COVID-19 case, you are not required to quarantine. The CDC recommends testing three to five days after the exposure and wearing a mask in all indoor public areas for 14 days, or until you obtain a negative test result.

Please see the HR COVID-19 information page. 

For unit leadership and supervisors, EHS has helpful information on employee COVID-19 exposure and testing.

For more information on testing, click here.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO QUARANTINE OR ISOLATE?

Isolation and quarantine help protect the public by preventing exposure to people who have or may have a contagious disease.

• Isolation separates sick people with a contagious disease from people who are not sick.
• Quarantine separates and restricts the movement of people who were exposed to a contagious disease to see if they become sick.

People who are fully vaccinated do NOT need to quarantine after contact with someone who had COVID-19, unless they have symptoms.

More details about student quarantine and isolation are available here.

HOW DO I ISOLATE OR QUARANTINE?

Isolate

If you test positive for COVID-19 or suspect you are infected with the virus that causes COVID-19, contact your health care provider and isolate.

Students, stay home:

• at least 10 days from your test date (symptomatic/asymptomatic).
• at least 24 hours with no fever without fever-reducing medication and
• symptoms have improved.

Employees, stay home:

• at least 10 days from symptom onset, or test date if asymptomatic.
• at least 24 hours with no fever without fever-reducing medication and
• symptoms have improved.

The CDC offers the following additional guidance on how to self-isolate.

Quarantine

Quarantine if you have been in close contact (within 6 feet of someone for a total of 15 minutes or more) with someone who has COVID-19, unless you have been fully vaccinated. People who are fully vaccinated do NOT need to quarantine after contact with someone who had COVID-19, unless they have symptoms.

• Quarantine for 10 days (so long as you remain without symptoms).*
• Self-monitor for fever by checking temperature at least twice a day. Contact your health care provider if you develop a fever or other COVID-19 symptoms.
• Please review this quarantine and isolation living arrangement checklist.

*If the COVID-19 exposure is to a known or suspected case of a variant of public health concern, you are instructed to quarantine for 14 days.

The university provides testing for students or employees. Any person who tests positive while in quarantine would then have 10 days of isolation from the test date, in line with WCHD guidance.

HOW CAN I STAY CONNECTED DURING MY QUARANTINE OR ISOLATION PERIOD?

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented challenges when it comes to staying connected to family and friends. UHS has created a series of tips and ideas to help students stay connected to fellow students. Click here for more information to help you stay connected during your quarantine or isolation period.

Well-Being Resources:

• Quarantine and Isolation Support Group
• Share experiences with other students who are in quarantine and isolation by joining this support group created by UHS.
• Counseling and Psychological Services: Schedule your first virtual counseling meeting by visiting our online scheduling system. CAPS is also available for Urgent/Crisis needs, including CAPS After-Hours (24/7) which can be reached by calling (734) 764-8312 and pressing 0 to speak with someone.
• Wellness Coaching: It is hard to have your semester disrupted by COVID. If you want to talk about how this experience is affecting your well-being and/or explore available wellness resources, you can schedule a virtual wellness coaching appointment online. If you don’t see a time that works, please email wellnesscoaching@umich.edu.
• Find ways to stay connected by checking out Student Life’s weekly email highlighting events and opportunities for students to participate in.
• More information on quarantine and isolation information can be found here.

14 THINGS TO DO IF SOMEONE YOU LIVE WITH HAS COVID-19

Tips for helping a family member or roommate cope with coronavirus effects, while protecting yourself and others.

U-M has adopted the guidance released by the Washtenaw County Health Department in accordance with guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding quarantine post COVID-19 vaccination.

Vaccinated persons with an exposure to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 are not required to quarantine if they meet all of the following criteria:

• Are fully vaccinated:

  • 2 or more weeks following receipt of the second dose in a 2-dose series.
  • 2 or more weeks following receipt of one dose of a single-dose vaccine.
• Have remained asymptomatic since the current COVID-19 exposure.

If you have traveled (considered a probable exposure), U-M public health officials continue to recommend you get tested within 72 hours of returning to the Ann Arbor area following travel (out of state and/or country).

Additional information is available on the WCHD website.

Students living in University Housing: You must relocate for the duration of your quarantine or isolation period. Options include:

• Your eligibility (confirmed positive for COVID-19 or confirmed close contact) for Quarantine and Isolation Housing will be shared with the Quarantine and Isolation Housing Coordination Center (QICC).  You may contact the QICC at (734) 936-2600 between 10am-6pm to arrange your stay. The QICC will also reach out to you when receiving your referral and contact information.
• QICC will arrange for transportation if you are unable to drive yourself, and will help with the check-in into Quarantine and Isolation Housing.
• If you receive notification of a positive test result after 8 p.m. and are required to relocate to on-campus quarantine and isolation housing, you can either contact DPSS that evening for after-hours relocation or remain in your current residence and relocate to isolation housing the following morning. You will be instructed to self-isolate as much as possible prior to relocation, wear a face covering, and ensure common spaces are cleaned and disinfected after use.

• Relocate to another residence, such as a permanent residence, if:

  • You can drive to the location in under 1 day. Use of public transportation or ride sharing is not permitted.
  • You will have access to your own closed-door bedroom.
  • You will have access to your own bathroom.
  • Only one other person will be in the car during the drive.

Students living off-campus:

It may be safe to quarantine or isolate in your current location if:

• You have access to your own closed-door bedroom.
• You have access to your own bathroom or share a bathroom with 1-2 others and can clean and disinfect the space after every use.
• You can articulate a plan with your housemates about cleaning, disinfecting and avoiding shared time in common spaces, such as a kitchen.

You may consider relocating to another residence, such as a permanent residence, for your quarantine/isolation period if:

• You can drive to the location in under 1 day. Use of public transportation, ride sharing or staying in a hotel overnight is not permitted.
• You will have access to your own closed-door bedroom.
• You will have access to your own bathroom.
• Only one other person will be in the car during the drive.

If space is available, relocating to on-campus quarantine housing is also an option — contact the Quarantine and Isolation Coordination Center at (734) 936-2600 between 10am-6pm/7 days a week.

During your period of self-quarantine, you are expected to monitor your health, reduce your contact with others and follow guidance consistent with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including:

• Monitor for cough, trouble breathing or other COVID-19 symptoms.
• Stay home as much as possible. Do not go to social gatherings.
• Do not attend in-person classes or academic activities.
• Do not go to in-person work assignments.
• Do not eat in residential dining halls.
• If you need to leave your residence for essential purposes (such as buying groceries or for banking needs), wear a face covering, practice 6 feet social distancing at all times and wash your hands.
• If necessary, public transportation can be used; masks are required.
• You may go to campus vaccination and testing centers as needed.

If you develop symptoms and/or test positive for COVID-19, seek medical attention.

WHERE SHOULD I SELF-QUARANTINE?

Ideally, you should have your own bedroom for self-quarantine. Sharing bathroom facilities is acceptable. Students who are assigned to on-campus residential halls and share a bedroom with a roommate will be relocated to on-campus quarantine and isolation housing.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ISOLATION, QUARANTINE AND SELF-QUARANTINE?

Isolation separates people sick with COVID-19 from people who are not sick.

Quarantine separates and restricts the movement of people who have been exposed to COVID-19 and/or who are awaiting test results on whether they have contracted the virus.

Self-quarantine is an extra precaution required after international travel due to the increased risks associated with travel.

Students living in University Housing must relocate for the duration of their quarantine or isolation period. Options include:

• Relocate to on-campus quarantine and isolation housing — contact the Contact Tracing Corps (734) 647-0001 during operating hours or DPSS (734) 763-1131 after hours for relocation or fill out the” Report an Exposure” form through the Wolverine Access COVID-19 collection.
• Relocate to another residence, such as a permanent residence.

Students living off campus may use U-M's quarantine and isolation housing if they cannot do so safely at their residence and if space is available. If no space is available, students should seek out temporary alternative housing, such as their permanent residence or a nearby hotel. If there are no feasible alternatives, students should quarantine or isolate to their best of their ability according to guidelines from the CDC. Housemates should should follow CDC advice for caring for someone sick at home.

The Division of Student Life's Quarantine and Isolation Coordination Center supports students currently residing in quarantine and isolation housing. If a student needs to isolate/quarantine on campus, a staff member from Student Life will facilitate the move to on-campus quarantine or isolation housing, including providing information about items to bring with them, arranging transportation as necessary and coordinating meal/food delivery for students with a meal plan as requested through Michigan Dining.

Please note that if a student receives notification of a positive test result after 8 p.m. and is required to relocate to quarantine and isolation housing, they should remain in their current residence and relocate to isolation housing the following morning. Students will be instructed to self-isolate as much as possible prior to relocation, wear a face covering and ensure common spaces are cleaned and disinfected after use.

Watch this video here to learn more about U-M’s quarantine and isolation process. Learn things like how to get to your assigned housing, what you’ll find when you get there, how to ask for help and what resources we have in place to support your stay.

COVID testing options at U-M include:

• Symptomatic testing of students through University Health Service and of faculty and staff through Occupational Health Services.
• Asymptomatic and mandatory testing through the U-M COVID-19 Community Sampling and Tracking program, open to students, faculty and staff on the Ann Arbor campus, including Michigan Medicine.
• Exposure testing for close contacts identified though case investigation, contact tracing or workplace exposure investigations.
• Quarantine Testing through University Health Service, in partnership with the Division of Public Safety & Security, delivers test kits to students in quarantine through U-M Quarantine & Isolation Housing.
• Antibody testing for Michigan Medicine faculty and staff involved in patient care.

Check out our guide for the U-M community on how to get a COVID-19 test at U-M.

Students and employees who are not considered fully vaccinated are required to participate in weekly COVID-19 testing. For the Fall 2021 term, ResponsiBLUE will indicate when testing is due for anyone required to participate in weekly testing.

Employees who are required to participate in weekly COVID-19 testing and do not are subject to disciplinary measures, up to and including dismissal from their position.

Students who do not complete required testing will have an administrative hold placed on their accounts and could be subject to other accountability measures. An administrative hold prevents a student from adding or dropping classes, registering for the Winter Term and accessing transcripts.

Ann Arbor Campus: For asymptomatic individuals, weekly testing must be administered through the Community Sampling and Tracking Program. For symptomatic/exposed students, testing must be administered by the University Health Service.

Students arriving from international locations who have been granted a temporary postponement are expected to obtain weekly testing through CSTP upon arrival to Ann Arbor/campus, until they are fully vaccinated.

Fully Remote: Weekly testing requirements will be waived for fully remote students who receive an exemption AND who are infrequently or never on campus or in U-M facilities. These individuals are instructed to get tested through the Community Sampling and Tracking Program when they come to campus. ResponsiBLUE will update 1-2 hours after testing.

UM-Dearborn Campus: Information regarding testing procedures for the UM-Dearborn campus will be shared the week of August 23. For more information please visit: https://umdearborn.edu/offices/external-relations/key-issues/um-dearborn-covid-19-response/resources/vaccine-information-um-dearborn.

UM-Flint Campus: Information on testing for UM-Flint campus will be shared soon.

If you test positive for COVID-19, you will be excluded from testing requirements for 90 days from the date you were swabbed for your positive test. After 90 days, you will be required to resume weekly mandatory testing. Please report an external positive COVID-19 test result here. Documentation of your test result is required and can be uploaded through this process. The survey results can take 2 to 3 days to be pushed to ResponsiBLUE. At that time, the app will give you a green completed mandatory test status.

Antibody test results cannot be accepted in lieu of positive test results to meet the testing requirement.

Note: "External test results" are any test result outside Athletics, University Health Service (UHS), Occupational Health Services (OHS) or the Community Sampling and Tracking Program (CSTP). If your testing was through Athletics, CSTP, UHS or OHS, your test result should have a green completed status in ResponsiBLUE.

Students, faculty and staff on the Ann Arbor campus, including Michigan Medicine, who have tested positive for COVID-19 within the past 90 days outside of U-M - that is, outside University Health Service (UHS), Occupational Health Services (OHS) or the Community Sampling and Tracking Program (CSTP) - are asked to report their positive test result here.

The information collected will be directed to appropriate units for follow up including: University Health Service; Environment, Health & Safety; Occupational Health Services; and/or Infection Prevention & Epidemiology. University or county health officials may reach out for case investigation and contact tracing, and the information gathered will help target resources for testing, support and mitigation.

Yes. Medically necessary health care costs related to testing and treatment for COVID-19 are covered under the student U-M Health Insurance plans (domestic plan and the international plan, and the health insurance plans administered by the U-M Benefits Office, such as GradCare and U-M Premier Care.

You can use Vaccines.gov to find a location offering the COVID-19 vaccine near you, then call or visit their website to make an appointment.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services also provides information, by county, on available vaccines and how to make an appointment.

University Health Service:

• All U-M students and patients/employees who have an active patient portal account can schedule a vaccination appointment through the portal.
• Appointments are available Tuesdays 8 a.m.-12 p.m. and Thursdays 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Occupational Health Services:

• OHS offers the two-dose Pfizer vaccine for university employees by appointment only.
• Employees coming to OHS for their vaccination must have their UMID and their vaccination card, if coming for a second-dose vaccination.
• Employees can review available times and sign up here.

Michigan Medicine:

• Vaccination clinics are located at the North Campus Research Complex Building 200, Brighton Health Center, and Northville Health Center. See the Your Vaccination Appointment page for maps and other details specific to these locations.
• Appointments can be scheduled online through the MyUofMHealth patient portal. If you do not have a portal account, you can schedule an appointment by calling 734-763-6336. At the prompt, press 1 for COVID-19 vaccinations and then 2 to speak with an agent.
• You do not have to be an established Michigan Medicine patient to schedule an appointment, but you do need a Michigan Medicine medical record number (MRN). Please call 734-936-4990 to set up an MRN before scheduling an appointment.

For up-to-date university vaccination opportunities, please visit https://campusblueprint.umich.edu/vaccine/.

No. At this time, the COVID-19 vaccine booster shot is not required under the U-M COVID-19 vaccination policy. You can find information on who should get a booster shot and how to schedule through Michigan Medicine here.

All students, faculty and staff on the three U-M campuses, including Michigan Medicine are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit their vaccination information.

This includes all students and employees (regular and temporary), including:

• Employees who are not currently working (e.g., off work on unpaid leaves of absence, in unpaid reduction-in-force status, no longer working in a temporary appointment where the termination hasn't been processed yet).
• Students and employees in fully remote situations.
• Students in fully remote programs and located in international locations where the vaccine is available. These students are advised to request a temporary postponement using the appropriate form on Wolverine Access.
• To report that you have received all doses of a vaccine series, submit information via the COVID-19 Vaccination Completed form.  
• To report that you have received one dose of a two-dose vaccine series, submit information via the Partial COVID-19 Vaccination form.

Those individuals who request and are approved for a medical or religious exemption will be required to complete mandatory weekly COVID-19 testing and continue to mask while on campus.

Read the full policy here.

There is no need for the U-M community to ask other members of the U-M community their vaccination status as being vaccinated or receiving an exemption or postponement is required under the U-M COVID-19 Vaccination Policy.

Supervisors and other university officials will have access to reports for managing compliance with the mandate that are in development, and will be shared in September.

The verification team reviews each submission for accuracy and authenticity.

You are all set and do not need to resubmit any information.

The university is actively discussing vaccine requirements with each of the unions representing staff on the U-M campus and Michigan Medicine whose agreements require those discussions. We are hopeful that an agreement can be reached in support of vaccination for these groups.

No. If you are a student who is planning to live in campus housing this fall and have already received an exemption, you do not need to do anything further.

All students, faculty and staff on the three U-M campuses, including Michigan Medicine are required to be vaccinated and submit their vaccination information to the university. This includes remote employees.

To report that you have received all doses of a vaccine series, submit information via the COVID-19 Vaccination Completed form.  

 To report that you have received one dose of a two-dose vaccine series, submit information via the Partial COVID-19 Vaccination form.

 Contact the Campus COVID-19 Call Center if you need additional assistance submitting your information. The Call Center can be reached at 734-936-7000, Monday-Saturday 9 a.m.-10 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m.-8 p.m.

The university is not not allowed to access employee MiChart records without the permission of the employee. Therefore, employees must self-report their vaccination information using the completed vaccination link.

Please schedule an appointment to begin your vaccination right away. Individuals who are not fully vaccinated are required to complete weekly COVID-19 testing and until they are fully vaccinated.

If you have received one dose of a vaccine series, submit the Partial COVID-19 Vaccination form to alert the university that your vaccination series is underway. Once you have completed your vaccination series, submit your full vaccination information using the COVID-19 Vaccination Completed form.

U-M community members can apply for a temporary postponement (formerly known as a deferral) if they are unable to obtain a vaccine recognized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the World Health Organization (WHO) in their hometown or country of origin. Those requesting a temporary postponement agree to immediately schedule a COVID-19 vaccination upon arrival to campus.

Students who have not reported their vaccination or requested an exemption or temporary postponement will have an administrative hold placed on their accounts and could be subject to other accountability measures. Students whose exemption or postponement was rejected and who have not gotten vaccinated also will be subject to an administrative hold.

Employees who are not in compliance with the policy are subject to administrative interventions and disciplinary actions, including unpaid disciplinary layoffs, ineligibility for future merit increases and possible dismissal.

Those with a pending exemption or postponement request, or who are awaiting verification of vaccine status, will be considered in compliance while their information is under review, but may be subject to weekly testing.

The University of Michigan is providing limited exemptions to the vaccination requirement for medical or religious reasons. The form to submit a request can be found here.

Those requesting a medical exemption must provide an explanation of the medical conditions that would make it unsafe to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, such as a documented history of a severe allergic reaction to any component of the vaccine. The request must include documentation from a health care provider in support of the request. Any request without documentation will be declined.

Those seeking a religious exemption are asked to explain why their “sincerely held religious belief” precludes them from receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. While documentation is not required, the university is asking those requesting this exemption to include any supporting documentation that is relevant to the request, such as an additional written statement or written information provided by a religious or spiritual leader.

Exemption requests will be reviewed by designated U-M staff members from a number of units, including University Health Service, Student Life, Human Resources and Occupational Health Services, as well as representatives from all three campuses and the health system.

For more FAQs on vaccination exemption and postponement requests visit:

• Student FAQs
• Employee FAQs
• Data/Privacy FAQs

Student, faculty and staff with lingering questions are able to discuss the topic with advisers provided by the university. Advisers are available to answer general questions about the vaccine, its safety and the role of vaccination in personal and community health. The resource is available to students and employees across all three campuses and Michigan Medicine.

Advisers will field questions from faculty and staff by phone on weekdays from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. The phone number is 734-764-8021; callers should select prompt No. 2.

In addition to accessing an adviser by phone, students may also sign up for a Zoom discussion with a clinician or nurse using the University Health Service website. The advisers are available for sessions on weekdays from 8-10 a.m.

Advisers will not offer medical advice or address any issues related to human resources or university policy.

Employees and students who do not comply with the university’s COVID-19 vaccination policy will be subject to a number of interventions and administrative actions.

For employees, action can include: unpaid disciplinary layoffs, ineligibility for future merit increases and possible dismissal for those who continually neglect to follow the policy.

For students, action can include an administrative hold placed on their accounts and other accountability measures.

All individuals who are not fully vaccinated will be required to get tested weekly for COVID-19 until they are fully vaccinated.

The university has made advisers available to students, faculty and staff who have questions about the vaccine, its safety or the importance of being vaccinated.

Advisers will field questions from faculty and staff by phone on weekdays from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. The phone number is 734-764-8021; callers should select prompt No. 2.

In addition to accessing an adviser by phone, students may also sign up for a Zoom discussion with a clinician or nurse using the University Health Service website. The advisers are available for sessions on weekdays from 8-10 a.m.

Advisers will not offer medical advice or address any issues related to human resources or university policy.

Yes. Individuals who are not fully vaccinated are required to complete weekly COVID-19 testing until they are fully vaccinated. The CDC and U-M consider individuals fully vaccinated two weeks after their second dose in a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine series, or two weeks after a single-dose vaccine.

No. The U-M COVID-19 vaccination policy requires students, faculty and staff from all three campuses to be vaccinated against COVID-19, including those working or learning remotely, unless granted a medical or religious exemption. Those who are not in compliance with the policy are subject to administrative interventions and disciplinary actions.

Yes. You are required to get vaccinated even if you've already had COVID-19. That’s because experts do not yet know how long you are protected from getting sick again after recovering from COVID-19. In addition, immunity as a result of infection (natural immunity) may only provide protection from the particular variant you were infected with, not from other strains. Even if you have already recovered from COVID-19, it is possible that you could become infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 again. Studies have shown that vaccination provides a strong boost in protection in people who have recovered from COVID-19.

Within seven business days of submitting your vaccination information, you will receive an email alerting you to whether your information was verified or rejected. Common reasons for rejected records include no name on the vaccination card, vaccination card was not legible, or missing information.

• Employees are encouraged to share their verification email with their supervisors.
• Students expecting an exemption from mandatory testing must be fully vaccinated. To be considered fully vaccinated you must have received all doses of the vaccine at least 2 weeks ago. If you are expecting a quarantine waiver associated with an exposure to COVID-19, you must be fully vaccinated. Please be sure that the Contact Tracing Corps knows that you have submitted this form so that they can expedite the validation process.

Please allow up to seven business days for the review of your record submission. Individuals will receive an email alerting them to whether their information was verified or rejected. If it has been more than seven business days, contact the Campus COVID-19 Call Center 734-936-7000. Call Center hours are Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Check for any changes to your vaccination status in the ResponsiBLUE App.

Some of the common reasons a submission is rejected include: no name on the vaccination card, vaccination card was not legible, the lot number entered on the form did not match the lot number on the vaccination card, or the vaccination card image did not upload properly.

Please resubmit your vaccination information in Wolverine Access via the reporting tool, or contact the Campus COVID-19 Call Center 734-936-7000. Call Center hours are Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

• If you did not receive a COVID-19 vaccination card at your first appointment, contact the vaccination provider site where you got your first shot or your state health department to find out how you can get a card.

• If you have lost your vaccination card or don’t have a copy, contact your vaccination provider directly to access your vaccination record.

  • Students vaccinated through Michigan Medicine or UHS, click here for more information on how to request your records. 
  • Employees who received their vaccination at a Michigan Medicine (MM) COVID-19 vaccination location (Ford Auditorium, Danto Auditorium, Michigan Stadium, Brighton Health Center, etc.) can access information on how to request your records here. 
  • If you cannot contact your vaccination provider directly, contact your state health department’s immunization information system (IIS). You can find state IIS information on the CDC website. Vaccination providers are required to report COVID-19 vaccinations to their IIS and related systems.
• Bring your vaccination card with you to your second shot appointment so your provider can fill in the information about your second dose.
• Keep your vaccination card in case you need it for future use. Consider taking a picture of your vaccination card after your second shot appointment as a backup copy.

Unit leadership will have access to data about compliance for employees or students in their area. At this point, access is limited to a very small group including deans, top-level unit leadership and human resources departments for the purpose of implementing public health-informed plans and decisions and ensuring compliance with U-M policies.

More information on compliance followup and guidance is available here: https://hr.umich.edu/working-u-m/my-employment/covid-19-information-employees/u-m-covid-19-vaccination-requirement

Supervisors can encourage employees to self-report vaccine status voluntarily through the university process.

Once they self-report, employees can voluntarily show their supervisor their ResponsiBLUE status.

A supervisor may request that an employee who reports to them display their verified vaccination status information. More information is available on the U-M Human Resources website.

According to the CDC, people are considered fully vaccinated:

• 2 weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or
• 2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine.

Regarding the mixing of vaccine doses:

• Individuals who have not received all the recommended doses of a COVID-19 vaccine listed for emergency use by WHO may be offered a complete FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccine series.
• If two doses of different mRNA COVID-19 vaccine products are administered, no additional doses of either product are recommended at this time. Such persons are considered fully vaccinated against COVID-19 ≥2 weeks after receipt of the second dose of an mRNA vaccine.

The University of Michigan understands that access to COVID-19 vaccines is variable worldwide and is committed to offering any community member who is in need of vaccination the opportunity to get vaccinated when they arrive in Ann Arbor. This includes students arriving from domestic locations as well as students arriving from abroad.

For the purpose of meeting U-M COVID-19 policies and quarantine and isolation requirements, the university recognizes vaccines that are authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or the World Health Organization. The list of recognized vaccines may change; you can view the current WHO list on their website (look for the COVID-19 vaccine EUL issued list): https://extranet.who.int/pqweb/sites/default/files/documents/Status_COVID_VAX_15July2021.pdf.

U-M will assist those seeking to comply with U-M COVID-19 policies and requirements, as needed. This will include offering the opportunity of additional vaccination upon their arrival with a recognized vaccine, or requiring additional mitigation strategies (mandatory testing/quarantine requirements) for those vaccinated with a non-authorized vaccine or those granted an exemption from the COVID-19 vaccine requirement.

For more information or to request assistance, contact the U-M COVID-19 Campus Call Center at 734-936-7000.

Students traveling internationally on a U-M managed program are required to have an authorized COVID-19 vaccination and complete the “Student COVID-19 Vaccination Self-Report Form” in Wolverine Access before traveling abroad unless they have an approved exemption. Students traveling internationally, but not on a U-M managed program, are strongly encouraged to be fully vaccinated before travel.

Please visit the COVID-19 & Travel FAQ for details.

Students can report their vaccination status in Wolverine Access by following instructions on the Campus Maize and BLUEprint website.

U-M’s vaccine requirement for students participating in international U-M managed programs is the most important and effective way to protect individual travelers while protecting the communities that travelers may be entering and/or exiting. Our goal is to provide an international experience that is safe so that students can focus on their learning objectives. We appreciate your support with helping us to achieve this goal.

For the purposes of this requirement, U-M managed programs subject to this requirement include international education programs (study abroad, internship, field work, etc.) within the M-Compass application management system. For these programs in M-Compass, U-M units organize the experience, collect application requirements, and make application decisions. Travel registrations and “funding” programs are not considered U-M managed programs even if they are considered University of Michigan Related Travel (UMRT).

Note 1: Students traveling abroad independently for University of Michigan Related Travel (UMRT) and not on a “U-M Managed Program” as defined above are not subject to these guidelines. Though these students are not required to be vaccinated to travel internationally, U-M strongly encourages all students to be fully vaccinated before travel.

Note 2: These guidelines only apply to students traveling on U-M Ann Arbor campus managed programs. Students traveling on U-M Flint or U-M Dearborn should follow U-M Flint or U-M Dearborn guidelines.

Vaccination is not required to enter the U.S. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention requires all air passengers coming to the United States, including U.S. citizens, to have a negative COVID-19 test result or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 before they board a flight to the United States. More details on travel guidance are available in this FAQ.

Yes, U-M is home to world-class researchers and a longstanding dedicated team committed to community outreach. Research and efforts on education around vaccine hesitancy are too numerous to individually list but are growing from teams across Michigan Medicine, our School of Public Health, Michigan Institute for Clinical & Health Research, School of Social Work, and beyond.

Vaccination is free for faculty, staff and students. Health insurance is not required, but if you have insurance, please bring your card to your appointment. There are no out-of-pocket costs to you.

Yes, the CDC has updated its guidance about this. COVID-19 vaccines and other vaccines may now be administered without regard to timing. This includes simultaneous administration of COVID-19 vaccines and other vaccines on the same day, as well as co-administration within 14 days.

No. At this time, the only channel for submitting vaccination and exemption information is via the secure self-reporting forms.

The exemption and temporary postponement request review team is reviewing student submissions as quickly as possible. Beginning August 18, students who have submitted an exemption/postponement request will receive an email that indicates the status of their request. Emails will be sent to individuals based on the order their requests were submitted (typically two weeks from their request submission date). Please continue to check your email for an update on the status of your request.

Get a weekly COVID-19 test and follow the U-M Face Covering Policy. Also complete the ResponsiBLUE daily health screen.

Because you are not fully vaccinated, you are required to complete weekly COVID-19 testing and follow the U-M Face Covering Policy, per the U-M COVID-19 Vaccination Policy.

If you receive the COVID-19 vaccine in the future, you are asked to upload your vaccination information to Wolverine Access at that time.

Download the ResponsiBLUE app for daily use and be prepared to show it when requested.

Because you are not fully vaccinated, you are required to complete weekly COVID-19 testing and follow the U-M Face Covering Policy, per the U-M COVID-19 Vaccination Policy. 

U-M Ann Arbor students who receive a conditional approval for a religious exemption must complete the online COVID-19 health educational module in order for the full exemption to be granted. A link to the online module will be sent directly to these U-M community members. After completing the online module, you will receive an email indicating that the exemption is fully granted.

Educational modules will be distributed to UM-Dearborn and UM-Flint in conjunction with compliance efforts.

Obtain an FDA/WHO authorized vaccine as soon as possible. Submit your updated vaccination information by completing the appropriate form in Wolverine Access by September 20, 2021.

Continue weekly COVID-19 testing until you are fully vaccinated and follow the U-M Face Covering Policy, per the U-M COVID-19 Vaccination Policy. When you are near or in Ann Arbor, you should obtain that weekly testing through the Community Sampling and Tracking Program.

You should obtain an FDA/WHO authorized vaccine as soon as possible and update your vaccination status on Wolverine Access. Continue to get a weekly COVID-19 test until you are fully vaccinated.

Exemption and temporary postponement requests may be denied for a variety of reasons, including: 

• Incomplete information/documentation 
• Failure to provide supporting documentation from a medical provider (where applicable)
• Required fields were not completed 
• Form was completed by someone other than the U-M student or employee (where applicable)
• Information provided does not meet the criteria for that particular type of exemption

There is no appeal process for exemption or temporary postponement requests; decisions are final.

Ann Arbor Campus: For asymptomatic individuals, weekly testing must be administered through the Community Sampling and Tracking Program. For symptomatic/exposed students, testing must be administered by the University Health Service.

Students arriving from international locations who have been granted a temporary postponement are expected to obtain weekly testing through CSTP upon arrival to Ann Arbor/campus, until they are fully vaccinated.

UM-Dearborn Campus: Information regarding testing procedures for the UM-Dearborn campus is available here: https://umdearborn.edu/​offices/external-relations/​key-issues/um-dearborn-covid-​19-response

UM-Flint Campus: Information on testing for UM-Flint campus is available here: https://www.umflint.edu/​covid-19/covid-19-testing/

Additional questions about exemptions and temporary postponements from students can be directed to:

U-M Ann Arbor Students: COVID19TestingCompliance@umich.edu

UM-Dearborn Students: Specific information regarding the testing expectations associated with your exemption will be provided to you via email from the UM-Dearborn Dean of Students Office. If you have any questions about the vaccine exemption process or participating in the outlined risk management strategies, please contact the Dearborn COVID Support Team at (313) 593-5056 or DearbornCOVIDSupport@umich.edu.

UM-Flint Students: Flint Reopening Committee: reopeningcommittee@umich.edu.

Find more COVID-19 information specific to the UM-Dearborn Campus and the UM-Flint Campus.

While the weekly testing requirement for unvaccinated students remains in place, those individuals who are in fully remote situations are not required to test weekly, but it is expected that they be tested within the previous week if they come to campus for any reason. ResponsiBLUE will track compliance with weekly testing for all students and employees who are unvaccinated, even those usually in a fully remote arrangement.

The exemption and temporary postponement request review team is reviewing employee submissions as quickly as possible. Beginning August 18, employees who have submitted an exemption/postponement request will receive an email that indicates the status of their request. Emails will be sent to individuals based on the order their requests were submitted (typically two weeks from their request submission date). Please continue to check your email for an update on the status of your request.

Get a weekly COVID-19 test and follow the U-M Face Covering Policy. Also complete ResponsiBLUE daily health screen.

Because you are not fully vaccinated, you are required to complete weekly COVID-19 testing and follow the U-M Face Covering Policy, per the U-M COVID-19 Vaccination Policy. 

If you receive the COVID-19 vaccine in the future, you are asked to be sure to upload your vaccination information to Wolverine Access at that time.

All students, faculty and staff will need to download the ResponsiBLUE app and be prepared to show it when requested.

Because you are not fully vaccinated, you are required to complete weekly COVID-19 testing and follow the U-M Face Covering Policy, per the U-M COVID-19 Vaccination Policy. 

All employees (Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Flint) who are granted a religious exemption are highly encouraged to complete the online COVID-19 health educational module.

The online module should take 30-45 minutes to complete and can be found at: EHS_OHS_COVIDw COVID-19: Working Safely at U-M.

Employees who are also students must complete the student module as this is a requirement for students. Course details will be sent via email to all students who need to complete this module.

Obtain an FDA/WHO authorized vaccine as soon as possible. 

Submit your updated vaccination information by completing the appropriate form in Wolverine Access by the date indicated on your approval email.

Continue weekly COVID-19 testing until you are fully vaccinated, and follow the U-M Face Covering Policy, per the U-M COVID-19 Vaccination Policy. When you are near or in Ann Arbor, you should obtain that weekly testing through the Community Sampling and Tracking Program.

You should obtain an FDA/WHO authorized vaccine as soon as possible and update your vaccination status on Wolverine Access. Continue to get a weekly COVID-19 test until you are fully vaccinated.

Exemption and Temporary Postponement Requests may be denied for a variety of reasons, including: 

• Incomplete information/documentation
• Failure to provide supporting documentation from a medical provider (where applicable)
• Required fields were not completed
• Form was completed by someone other than the U-M student or employee (where applicable)
• Information provided does not meet the criteria for that particular type of exemption

There is no appeal process for exemption requests; decisions are final.

Weekly COVID testing for the Ann Arbor campus community: For asymptomatic individuals, weekly testing must be administered through the Community Sampling and Tracking Program. For symptomatic/exposed faculty and staff, testing must be administered by Occupational Health Services (734-764-8021).

UM-Dearborn Campus: Information regarding testing procedures for the UM-Dearborn campus is available here: https://umdearborn.edu/​offices/external-relations/​key-issues/um-dearborn-covid-​19-response

UM-Flint Campus: Information on testing for UM-Flint campus is available here: https://www.umflint.edu/​covid-19/covid-19-testing/

Additional questions from all employees (Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Flint) can be directed to: Covid-19HR@umich.edu.

Find more COVID-19 information specific to the UM-Dearborn Campus and the UM-Flint Campus.

Unvaccinated employees working 100% remotely without an exemption or temporary postponement are still subject to enforcement steps one (verbal warning) and two (discipline letter including loss of merit increase for 2022, two-day unpaid disciplinary layoff and restrictions on university-funded travel and professional development).

However, employees who do not come to campus and/or would not in the course of their job have in-person contact are exempt from the weekly testing requirement.More information can be found here.

Information collected through the COVID-19 Vaccination and Exemption Self-Report forms will be used to direct public health-informed decisions related to living, learning and working at U-M. It will also be used to produce reports for university administration, support vaccine verification and aid in decisions on face coverings, testing and quarantine requirements, social distancing needs, and other public-health informed plans and decisions.

For more information, see the Privacy Policy for COVID-19 Vaccination and Exemption Self-Reporting.

Individually identifiable information may be shared as required by law, and with university officials, public health officials, and external service providers that support U-M COVID-19 response efforts.

When information is shared with service providers, we have contractual agreements to require such service providers to keep your personal information secure and confidential, and do not allow them to use or share personal information for any purpose other than providing services on the university’s behalf.

For more information, see the Privacy Policy for COVID-19 Vaccination and Exemption Self-Reporting.

Self-reported vaccination and exemption information is not considered Protected Health Information (PHI) and is not regulated by HIPAA.

No. Compliance with the U-M COVID-19 Vaccination Policy requires U-M faculty, staff and students to make their vaccination and exemption information available to U-M for pandemic management and reporting purposes. For more information, see the Privacy Policy for COVID-19 Vaccination and Exemption Self-Reporting.

Student self-reported vaccination and medical exemption information is not regulated by the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). For students, this information is regulated by FERPA. The University of Michigan takes appropriate measures to ensure the security and confidentiality of student records and personal human resources information.

Close contact is defined by CDC as someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period starting from 2 days before illness onset (or, for asymptomatic clients, 2 days prior to positive specimen collection).

Close contact is defined as follows:

• Being less than 6 feet apart for brief encounters that total 15 minutes or more in a 24-hour period.
• Being coughed or sneezed on.
• Hugging or kissing.
• Sharing utensils or drinking glasses.
• Roommate, intimate partner or caregiver.

Case investigators identify and investigate individuals with a diagnosis of COVID-19.

U-M case investigators are individuals from EHS that are designated by Washtenaw County Health Department to conduct this work. If someone is diagnosed with COVID-19, a case investigator will call and provide education about isolation, criteria to complete isolation, and resources to successfully complete isolation. U-M case investigators will contact all U-M associated individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 either through self-report or who were tested at University Health Services or Occupational Health Services.

U-M's Environment, Health and Safety department will continue to work closely with local public health officials to perform case investigation and contact tracing for students, faculty and staff as has occurred throughout the pandemic. U-M also will use students from the health sciences schools trained and supervised by professionals to enhance our contact tracing capacity. Some students may receive appropriate credit for courses or clinical rotation hours for this activity as part of their curricular requirements.

As part of case investigation, the investigator also will gather a list of close contacts for each positive case. Close contacts are defined as having been within 6 feet of a case for a cumulative 15 minutes or more in a 24-hour period. Contact tracers identify, monitor and support the close contacts who have been exposed to, and possibly infected with, the virus.

Prompt identification, voluntary quarantining, and monitoring of COVID-19 contacts for symptom development can effectively break the chain of infection and decrease further spread of the virus in our community. This is where we can have the most impact.

How is it done?

Contact tracers are volunteers from across many departments who have received specialized training and have been authorized to conduct case investigation and contact tracing in partnership with the County Health Department that has jurisdiction in the Ann Arbor area.

The U-M investigator contacts all UM-associated close contacts who were identified from the case’s investigation. They inform them of their potential exposure, provide education about quarantining, assist with resources to successfully complete their quarantine and initiate symptom tracking. Testing is not required, but may be part of a campus testing strategy if capacity exists to do so.

A close contact is instructed to:

• Stay home for 14 days after their last contact with an infected individual.
• Check their temperature at twice a day and watch for symptoms of COVID-19.
• Stay away from people who are at higher risk for serious illness from COVID-19.
• If they develop symptoms, the contact should call UHS (students) or Occupational Health Services (staff/faculty) and they will be counseled to seek medical care.

A negative test does not release a contact from quarantine. They must complete the full 14 days. There is no need for a "release from quarantine" note. U-M employees should visit the UHR COVID-19 website to review options for time off and leave.

Proximate contacts (those further than 6 feet from a case) do not need to quarantine.

An effective contact tracing and case management program can ensure that those at risk of having been infected are rapidly identified and triaged to prevent unnecessary spread of COVID-19.

Sharing the names of colleagues or friends you were in contact with at work, the gym, or a party will not get anyone in trouble. Providing this information will provide a notification so they can seek testing, and guarantee they get the support and resources they may need during quarantine.

The Statement of Student Rights and Responsibilities prohibits "Making, possessing, or using any falsified university document or record; altering any university document or record, including identification cards and meal cards." Producing, providing and/or presenting a falsified vaccination card or a screenshot of the ResponsiBLUE app would violate this expectation and is prohibited.

U-M's face covering policy aligns with the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

A full FAQ has been developed by Environment, Health and Safety.

Who is required to wear a face covering on campus?

U-M policy requires all individuals — both vaccinated and unvaccinated — to wear a face covering while in a campus building or on campus transit. The policy applies across the entire university, including buildings on all three campuses and other university-occupied properties. A key exception to the policy allows for vaccinated students living on campus to not wear a face covering while in their own residence hall, including common areas. The university will reassess the policy after classes begin this fall with the goal to scale back the face covering requirement for vaccinated individuals when measures of community spread support doing so.

Where are face coverings required on campus?

All students, staff, faculty, and visitors are required to wear a face covering that covers the mouth and nose when indoors on university property, including all three campuses, Michigan Medicine and other university-occupied properties. Face coverings are also required on U-M transportation.

Why are masks being required in classes regardless of vaccination status?

To support a more typical fall academic experience, the university is designing classes at pre-pandemic capacities. We recognize classes may have a mixed population of vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. At this time, U-M policy requires face coverings in all campus buildings to reduce transmission of COVID-19 as the highly infectious delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 continues to spread. The variant has led to more “breakthrough infections” among those who are vaccinated, and while the infections rarely lead to serious consequences, they can spread to others. We’ll continue to assess conditions as they evolve and revisit this policy once the semester begins.

Are there exceptions to the face covering requirement?

A key exception to the policy allows for vaccinated students living on campus to not wear a face covering while in their own residence hall, including common areas. Additional exceptions where a person is not required to wear a face covering indoors include while alone in a single, enclosed, private office with the door closed, actively eating or drinking, swimming or and receiving a service that requires them to temporarily take off their face covering. An individual is also not required to wear a face covering indoors when involved in an activity, including certain types of instruction, where wearing a face covering may present an impediment to instruction or present a safety hazard, provided that a risk assessment is performed and reviewed by EHS. If approved for this exception, instructors must continue to maintain a physical distance of 12 feet from others. Please see the U-M Face Covering Policy for COVID-19 for more details and a list of exceptions.

What are acceptable face coverings?

The CDC recently updated their information to provide selection guidance for face coverings: at least two layers of fabric made with a breathable fabric that completely cover your nose and mouth and fits snugly on the sides of your face without gaps is recommended.

Many types of cloth face coverings are acceptable, including homemade masks, scarves, bandanas and handkerchiefs, but face coverings that seal as tightly as possible to the face are preferable to those that fit loosely.

The face coverings provided to students through U-M Student Life contain three layers of cotton fabric which exceeds the current CDC selection criteria of two layers.

The CDC does not recommend face coverings with exhalation valves. They also do not recommend the use of face shields as a substitute for cloth face coverings. However, they can be worn in addition to a face covering when sustained close contact with other people is expected.

The University of Michigan requires all students, staff, faculty and visitors to wear a face covering that covers the mouth and nose anywhere on U-M property (including the Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Flint campuses, as well as properties off campus). This includes when inside buildings and on U-M transportation. Repeated failure to follow the face covering policy will result in sanctions.

U-M community members can address non-compliance with the U-M face covering policy in the following ways:

• Directly with a kind reminder of the policy.
• U-M community members who are authorized to provide service can deny services to anyone not complying with the university’s face covering policy.  
• For repeated non-compliance, notification to a local resource (i.e. housing hall director, Dean of Students Office, chair/director/workplace supervisor, or for complaints related to student organizations, reach out to the Student Organization Advancement and Recognition).

• Escalation beyond local resources to campus resources:

  • Office of Student Conflict Resolution (complaints involving students on Ann Arbor campus). Per the Statement of Student Rights and Responsibilities, any member of the U-M community (faculty, staff and students) may submit a complaint and/or request conflict resolution services through OSCR by calling the office directly at (734) 936-6308 between the hours of 9-5 Monday through Friday, or submitting a form online: https://oscr.umich.edu/secure/​oscr-complaint-form
  • Compliance Hotline at 866-990-0111.

• In the event of an emergency or if you are feeling unsafe, contact the Division of Public Safety and Security by calling 9-1-1 (in an emergency) or 734-763-1131.

  • In the unlikely event that a student in class refuses to comply after being reminded politely, instructors can ask the student to leave the class. If the student refuses, the instructor can leave and cancel class. Please note that these steps should be taken only as a last resort, and instructors should report to their department, school or college if a case such as this does arise.

All students are responsible for understanding the COVID-19-related expectations and their responsibilities this semester.

A Compliance and Accountability Team has been established to monitor participation in the mandatory testing program, follow up with students to encourage and facilitate compliance, and escalate issues of non-compliance as appropriate.

Students who are not in compliance with the U-M COVID-19 vaccination policy or who are required to participate in weekly testing requirements but fail to do so, will have an administrative hold placed on their accounts. The hold prevents a non-compliant student from adding or dropping classes, registering for the Winter Term and accessing transcripts.

Students not in compliance could be subject to other accountability measures, including probation, canceled housing contracts, and referral for formal student conduct processes.

All employees are responsible for understanding the COVID-19-related expectations and their responsibilities under the university’s policies.

Non-complaint employees on the Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Flint campuses will be subject to disciplinary action, which will be carried out using a two-step process at the unit level. The first step will focus on further education about the policy and the vaccine, and will include a verbal warning.

If after seven days the employee has not initiated the process to become vaccinated,the second step includes a written warning, ineligibility for next year’s merit increase and possible additional disciplinary actions. This applies to both faculty and staff.

Additionally, staff members will be put on a two-day unpaid disciplinary layoff and face restricted access to funds for professional development and university travel. Faculty will have access to professional development and discretionary funds restricted and may have sabbaticals delayed or become ineligible for university honorific recognition.

All employees not in compliance will be required to complete weekly COVID-19 testing until they are fully vaccinated. Employees who have initiated an exemption or temporary postponement request, or who are awaiting verification of vaccine status, will be considered in compliance while their information is under review, but may be subject to weekly testing.

All employees, regardless of vaccination status, must follow the U-M face-covering policy and perform daily symptom checks using the ResponsiBLUE app.

Unvaccinated employees who do not comply with face-covering rules, weekly testing and daily symptom checking could be subject to further discipline, including discharge. Bargained-for employees should refer to their collective bargaining agreements.

The university will continue to carefully monitor a number of data points as we move forward with campus plans. There is no one number that would prompt a change. Among these factors are:

• Spread of COVID-19 locally and regionally.
• Capacity of area hospitals.
• Campus isolation capacity.
• Capacity for case investigation and contact tracing.

More details on Campus Response Metric are available here.

Our health and safety officials are continuing to monitor the spread of the virus in our community and beyond. This extensive monitoring is happening in real time and will continue as long as it is needed, allowing us to act promptly if conditions change.

Our Environment, Health and Safety department has been collaborating closely with campus units to help keep employees safe. There are also health screening tools to support self-monitoring and comply with any statewide executive orders that may be in effect. University-wide, we will be supplying hand sanitizer, masks and other forms of personal protective equipment so that we can provide them as needed.

The Division of Student Life worked closely with U-M students across campus this summer to develop the Wolverine Culture of Care — a commitment to keeping the U-M campus community as healthy and safe as possible. Students are encouraged to review and post these guidelines as a reminder on how to best care for yourself and to be respectful of your shared responsibility for the health of others throughout the fall semester.

Our collective safety requires we all do our part by practicing strong personal hygiene habits, wearing a face covering when appropriate, maintaining a physical distance of six (6) feet and staying home when sick.

Currently, there are no physical distancing requirements or capacity restrictions in U-M facilities. Unvaccinated individuals should continue to practice 6 ft distancing from others in addition to wearing a face covering.

U-M’s Environment, Health and Safety has updated its guidelines for campus to minimize risks in campus operations, including distancing, cleaning protocols and events.

Preventive measures that remain in place include:

• Face coverings are required. No mask, no service.
• Transit routes designed for passenger trips to be completed in approximately 15 minutes or less.
• Movable shields installed as a barrier between passengers and drivers.
• Drivers will take advantage of stops to open doors for increased ventilation.
• Increased air filtration and open windows for all buses.
• Cleaning and disinfection protocols for frequently touched surfaces inside the bus.

More details are available:

• U-M Logistics, Transportation and Parking

U-M Facilities & Operations has taken many steps to ensure a safe classroom environment while the university remains in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. See the full list of steps taken here.

How were decisions regarding course modalities made for the Fall 2021 semester?

As Provost Collins discussed during the August 27, 2021 briefing, schools and colleges led the decision-making about course modalities, with decisions about whether each course would be taught in-person, hybrid, or remotely. These decisions focused on pedagogical considerations and programmatic needs, recognizing that the university was returning to a primarily residential experience for its students. There were also some space constraints that limited the university's ability to schedule a small number of courses in-person.

While there will never be zero risk, with the broad availability of and requirement for vaccination and indoor masking, U-M is in a very different situation regarding classroom safety than last fall. In addition, students have voiced a strong preference for the outstanding in-person teaching U-M is known for. Thus, it makes sense to return to a context in which decisions about whether courses are taught in-person, hybrid, or remotely (i.e., where courses are taught) are programmatic decisions, made at the unit level, and not left to instructor choice. Faculty have never had the individual discretion to move courses scheduled to be in-person to a remote modality, with the exception of the crisis period last year.

It is important for the university to transition back to the general expectation that instructors be available for on-campus engagement — of course while continuing to follow U-M policies and procedures for those instructors with special health needs. As has been U-M practice for many years, faculty and staff with medical conditions that necessitate a modification to their assignment are asked to provide supporting medical documentation to Work Connections.

If an instructor has a COVID-related disability or personal medical condition (i.e., the instructor's medical condition), they should contact Work Connections to manage the medical documentation, as is done with other medical conditions. Work Connections' role is limited to assisting instructors and the academic units with assessment of medical documentation provided by the instructor to support their request to teach in remote or hybrid modality due to their own disability or health condition related to COVID-19.

After receiving and reviewing the available medical documentation, Work Connections will inform the instructor's department/unit as to whether the medical documentation supports the medical necessity of restrictions. Once Work Connections reviews and validates the medical documentation, the academic department or unit will be in touch with the instructor to discuss what type of appropriate accommodations or other measures should be considered. The department/unit will evaluate recommended restrictions and determine what, if any, accommodations may be made. The department/unit and/or the instructor may also work with the ADA coordinator to determine what, if any, accommodations may be made for faculty with medical conditions. Work Connections does not make the determination or decision about appropriateness of accommodations or other measures, including whether a course will be offered remotely. Rather, Work Connections' role is limited to the confidential review and analysis of medical information. That has been the case in the past, and continues to be the case with respect to requests related to COVID-19.

It is also important to reiterate that Work Connections plays no role with respect to requests for changes to assignments, including course modality, for reasons other than the instructor's own medical condition. For example, Work Connections is not involved in an instructor's request to teach remotely due to the age or health status of the instructor's family members or others with whom they reside.

U-M is continuously assessing the situation on campus and in the U-M community regarding COVID-19 and looking at new evidence and federal, state and local guidance as it emerges. U-M has established Campus Response Metrics that would cause the university to alter its current approach to pandemic management as well as the series of options at its disposal including teaching modality.

Units are no longer restricted for capacity of events. Units should continue to request approval of events through their leadership. Units should strive to plan events utilizing best infection control practices for minimizing the potential for spread of COVID-19.

The following should be considered when planning an event:

• Smaller gatherings are preferable to larger gatherings.
• Outdoor events are preferable to indoor events. 
• Enclosed structures (tents) should not be used; canopies are acceptable.
• All outdoor events, activities and structures (e.g. canopies) must be coordinated through Facilities & Operations Outdoor Events.
• Where feasible, ResponsiBLUE should be used for indoor events to indicate compliance with testing, and screening requirements, as applicable.
• Signage must be posted to remind those that are not vaccinated to continue to distance and mask, if indoors.  
• Keeping a log of names and contact information for attendees is helpful to aid in case investigation and contact tracing (if feasible).

For more information check out the following guidelines from EHS: https://ehs.umich.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/COVID-19-Guidelines-for-Campus-Facilities.pdf

Guided by public health and safety experts, university units are planning more in-person events.

To attend any upcoming in-person event or activity on campus, all individuals are required to complete the daily ResponsiBLUE App health questionnaire and weekly COVID-19 testing (if applicable) to meet U-M requirements for accessing campus buildings and facilities.

For more information or to download the App visit the ResponsiBLUE page.

Campus guests are expected to complete ResponsiBLUE Guest, the daily COVID-19 symptom check tool, prior to accessing campus buildings. U-M policy also requires all individuals — both vaccinated and unvaccinated — to wear a face covering while in a campus building or on campus transit.

Many of Student Life’s educational programs, community-building activities and learning experiences are being adapted to serve students during this challenging time. For instance, students have been able to participate in initiatives that focus on community engagement and career skills this summer as many in-person internships and opportunities were canceled.

Students may also see additional changes to their campus experience such as physical distancing requirements in libraries and other common spaces and buildings, limited access to certain areas, additional cleaning, takeout meals, and staggered timelines for activities such as move-in and dining. Safety changes for our bus system, as well.

Learn more about the educational programs and community-building opportunities here.

We have worked with medical experts across the university and state and local governments to find a balance that allows events and gatherings to continue on campus while still providing a safe atmosphere.

At the Big House, this includes:

• The indoor mask requirement applies to all indoor spaces, including restrooms, locker rooms, press boxes, operational booths, etc.
• Fans will be encouraged to wear masks outdoors.
• Working staff will wear a face covering in all indoor areas of Michigan Stadium. Concessions workers will wear one no matter their location.
• Fans are encouraged to wear a mask in any outdoor areas and required to wear one in indoor areas, like restrooms and stores.

Each day, all members of our campus community who will enter campus buildings will be required to complete a daily healthy screening for COVID-19 symptoms by answering a brief set of questions using ResponsiBLUE.

Visitors and vendors must use the guest version of ResponsiBLUE (guest.responsiblue.umich.edu) whenever they come to campus. The ResponsiBLUE mobile app can be downloaded now from the App Store and Google Play, and is available for use by the U-M community. The tool offers advice on where to seek care if you are not well. You also are encouraged to use this tool daily, even when not coming to campus. For more information on ResponsiBLUE, click here.

Yes, all members of our campus community who enter campus buildings and facilities are required to use ResponsiBLUE daily to check themselves for COVID-19 symptoms by answering a brief set of questions. The tool offers advice on where to seek care if you are not well and provides visibility and insights into the state of public health at U-M.

All guests, contractors and vendors are required to complete a preliminary health screening via ResponsiBLUE Guest.

No. At this time, the COVID-19 vaccine booster shot is not required under the U-M COVID-19 vaccination policy and does not need to be uploaded to the ResponsiBLUE app. This information is subject to change as the university continues to follow the CDC's guidance on the safety and effectiveness of the COVID-19 booster vaccine.

ResponsiBLUE includes the following:

• Brief set of COVID- 19 daily screening questions (for students and employees).
• COVID-19 Test verification (for students only) notes the date of the last COVID-19 test through U-M testing programs.
• COVID-19 vaccination (for students and employees) shows status of users' self-reported vaccination record to the university via Wolverine Access. ResponsiBLUE iOS and Android update version 1.7.0 have been released to the App Store and the Google Play Store, respectively.
• Quarantine & Isolation indicator (for students and employees) appears for students and employees who have been placed into, or asked to, quarantine or isolate by U-M's Environment, Health and Safety department or the U-M Contact Tracing Corps.

No, you are required only to have gotten your COVID-19 test prior to entering a campus building.

Users will see a large red 'X' at the top of the screen if their screening results have expired. Screening check results expire after 18 hours. Click on the "start screening check" prompt to renew your daily screening requirement.

The COVID-19 Testing indicator is only visible for students (undergraduate, graduate and professional) who are required to complete weekly mandatory testing.

For students, the COVID-19 Testing indicator will either read "COMPLETED" or "EXPIRED." The weekly testing requirement will be waived for fully vaccinated students and the testing box will be removed from ResponsiBLUE. Students will continue to see their mandatory testing card until their fully vaccinated date is reached. All users will continue to see the daily symptom check screen.

If your COVID-19 Testing Indicator reads as "EXPIRED" and you live on campus, are registered for an in-person or hybrid class or come to campus for research, work or other activities (e.g. libraries, union, Rec Sports) in campus buildings you must immediately schedule an appointment AND get tested for COVID-19 through the Community Sampling & Tracking Program.

The COVID-19 Testing indicator will change from "EXPIRED" to "COMPLETED" upon getting your COVID-19 test.

It takes about 2 hours for Community Sampling and Tracking Program test information to show up in the ResponsiBLUE app. For test results from University Health Service and Occupational Health Services, please allow 2-3 days to show up in the app. Results from the self-reported external COVID results survey also can take 2 to 3 days to be pushed to ResponsiBLUE.

Your test status will expire 8 days from the testing date.

Students should not share their ResponsiBLUE records (including screenshots of completed testing status) with others, as that could be a violation of the Statement of Student Rights and Responsibilities that prohibits "Making, possessing, or using any falsified University document or record; altering any University document or record, including identification cards and meal cards." Producing a screenshot of the ResponsiBLUE app for the purpose of providing it to others for use as a falsified University record would violate this expectation and is prohibited.

Schools, colleges and administrative units have developed work plans for in-person operations. The plans also took into account accommodations for staff members with disabilities or conditions placing them at increased risk for severe illness in accordance with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control.

U-M's Environment, Health and Safety department has developed guidance for units which are available in the U-M COVID-19 Plan.

All employees working on campus are no longer required to take COVID-19 training; , however, it continues to be recommended. Employees who work in health care settings may be required to still take training.  The training at a minimum covers the following:

• Workplace infection controls practices.
• The proper use of personal protective equipment.
• Steps the employee must take to notify the university of any symptoms of COVID-19 or a suspected or confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19.
• How to report unsafe working conditions.

This training module is available in My LINC:

• COVID-19: Working Safely at U-M

First, remember that the individual will appreciate hearing your support while they recover from the illness. You should clarify whether they have received any specific guidance from the public health department and support following that guidance.

Next, you can anticipate that other students or employees may have heard about, or suspect that, someone is out sick with the COVID-19 related illness. They will understandably have concerns when they hear about this, including concerns over potential exposure risk. Perhaps the most important response to offer is to encourage anyone who is ill for any reason to stay home, to encourage everyone to monitor their own health for signs of illness and to reach out to a health care provider as needed. Any member of our community may call University Health Service if their regular health care provider is not in the local area.

Read more on the HR COVID-19 information page.

All campus employees working from home will continue to do so through at least mid-summer. Michigan Medicine has extended remote working guidelines for all those employees capable of working from home until September 13. Employees will begin a gradual return to more onsite work in the coming months at the direction of their unit’s leaders. These plans will follow university and state guidance, including vaccination benchmarks. Find resources, including remote and flexible workplace agreement templates, on the Future of Work Resource Center.

For now, we encourage those who are able to work from home to continue to do so. For those who feel uncomfortable eventually coming to campus, you should begin a conversation with your unit leadership.

Yes, it is safe to use drinking fountains on campus and water coolers on campus.

At a time when many buildings on campus were at reduced building occupancy, there was a potential for stagnant water due to lowered or no use. Stagnant water can result in iron deposit, sediment formation, bacterial growth, heavy metal contamination, and aesthetic concerns such as discolored water with objectionable tastes and smells. Frequent flushing of building water lines can reduce these issues. Therefore a routine flushing program is recommended to prevent building water problems.

Facilities & Operations is managing this for the campus buildings that they serve following an established protocol. Other areas should consider flushing in the building by running all sources of water for several minutes before use. F&O has partnered with non-F&O facility managers at the building level to inform them of steps to take to ensure water quality in kitchenettes, drinking water sources, etc. Concerns about high purity water system maintenance should be addressed with the vendor. Flushing these systems prior to opening is highly recommended. More information can be found here.

• View our instructor guide for understanding what happens when a student is diagnosed with COVID-19, identified as a close contact, or has symptoms of an upper respiratory infection.

• Students who have symptoms of an upper respiratory infection or COVID-19 should obtain a COVID-19 test through UHS here.
• If positive for COVID-19: The student should follow directions on how to isolate.
• If negative for COVID-19: The student should remain home from school or work until fever-free for 24 hours without use of medication and symptoms have improved.
• Students are encouraged to stay home if they are sick.

• Students who test positive will need to isolate for 10 days from their test date. The CDC offers this guidance to complete the isolation process.
• It is the student’s responsibility to notify the instructor that they are not able to attend class due to illness.
• When an individual tests positive, the testing facility is required to submit those results to the Michigan Disease Surveillance System (MDSS). The local Health Department or EHS will view these results and complete a case investigation to identify close contacts, and contact tracers will notify them directly to quarantine.
• So long as no new symptoms develop, fever has resolved and other symptoms are improving, the student will be allowed to return to class 10 days from the date of positive test.
• The student who had a positive test will remain anonymous unless they identify themselves. The student should let the faculty know if they will miss any required in person sessions due to illness or quarantine. Faculty should continue to provide academic support to all students during this period. The Dean of Students Office can provide support to the students seeking academic support from faculty, as necessary.

Anyone identified through case investigation as a close contact will be contacted by U-M Contact Tracing Corps and provided information on next steps.

Those who are fully vaccinated, even those who have come into close contact with someone with COVID-19 and remain asymptomatic, do not need to quarantine. They can get tested 3-5 days after exposure, or immediately if symptoms develop.

Advise the student to call University Health Service for guidance and to report their result. Ensure they are connected to resources.

Continue to provide academic support during the student's isolation period. Sometimes this can mean getting others in the academic unit involved (e.g., student affairs dean, program coordinator, etc.). It may be helpful to designate who is on the "need to know" list within the unit to help provide support to the student. Consult with your dean or Environment, Health & Safety if you have any questions.

Share the following resources with students:

• Visit the Campus Maize & Blueprint website for FAQs about COVID-19.
• University Health Service: 734-764-8320 for 24/7 nurse advice | Symptom assessment | Report off-campus test results
• Dean of Students Office: 734-764-7420; deanofstudents@umich.edu for support about any concern or disruption to a student’s campus life (emergency financial resources, support for physical and/or mental health concerns, assistance addressing academic concerns, navigation of and connection with campus and community resources, etc.). Faculty also can use the public report form on the DOS website under "Request Support for a Student" to refer a concern about a student to the Dean of Students Office critical incident response team: https://deanofstudents.umich.edu/
• Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS): 734-764-8312.
• ResponsiBLUE symptom assessment tool: complete daily.

• For positive students: Students will be directed by EHS when they can return to class and resume other activities. This will generally be 10 days after the date of their positive test, so long as they have not developed new symptoms, have no fever for 24 hours without fever-reducing medications, and other symptoms are improving.
• For students identified as a close contact: The student may return to class following the quarantine period, unless symptoms develop. If symptoms develop, students should then be evaluated at UHS, and follow appropriate guidance. Fully-vaccinated students who may have been in close contact with a COVID-positive student are not required to quarantine unless symptomatic.
• Any students who experience persistent fever or worsening symptoms during isolation or a more severe course requiring hospitalization, may have their quarantine or isolation period extended and be delayed from returning to class.

Recommendations for COVID-19 testing for before and after travel depend on your vaccination status and travel destination.

Testing is not recommended if you have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 90 days as residual virus (non-contagious remnants) may still be detected.

Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance, travel is discouraged if you are not fully vaccinated.

If unvaccinated and choosing to travel, get tested twice the week before and after travel. 

• Pre-travel test should align with the recommended 1-3 days prior to travel. 
• After travel, get tested 3-5 days after travel and self-quarantine for a full 7 days with a negative test result, or 10 days if not testing. 

While there is no formal guidance for testing fully vaccinated individuals who travel domestically unless they are symptomatic, resources will be available if you do choose to get tested. If you are vaccinated and traveling internationally, it is recommended that you get tested-before and after travel. Please note, fully vaccinated air travelers coming to the United States from abroad, including U.S. citizens, are required to have a negative SARS-CoV-2 viral test result or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 before they board a flight to the United States.

To ensure you receive your test results prior to travel, the university recommends planning ahead, since test results may take 24-48 hours; operating hours may also be reduced at some CSTP testing sites due to the breaks. 

Free testing is available through the Community Sampling and Tracking Program and pop-up, rapid antigen testing.

It’s recommended all travelers follow public health prevention strategies to reduce the spread of COVID-19, including:

• Wearing a mask, especially in crowded areas.
• Practicing social distancing.
• Washing your hands often with soap and water, or hand sanitizer that is at least 60% alcohol.
• Avoiding travel if ill.
• Checking for travel restrictions for your final destination. For those traveling internationally, all air passengers returning to the United States are required to have a negative COVID-19 test result or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 before they board a flight to the U.S. as outlined by the CDC.

The U-M suspension of nonessential travel has been revoked, effective June 21st 2021. Faculty and staff should follow school, college and unit-specific travel approval steps, if any.

Faculty and staff traveling internationally for UM-related purposes need to register travel, as described in the SPG 601.31 for International Travel.

Details are available on Global Michigan.

The following countries are under a U-M Travel Warning, meaning undergraduate students and graduate students on UMRT must follow the Safety Plan approval process.

U-M Travel Restriction destinations: Every other country not listed here is under a U-M Travel Restriction, meaning undergraduate students prohibited from travel and graduate students on UMRT must follow the Safety Plan approval process.

U-M travel guidelines do not apply to personal travelers, such as students, faculty, and staff traveling back to their homes to live, visit family members, etc.

Details are available on Global Michigan.

Please visit the UHS COVID-19 Testing for International Travelers page if you plan to travel abroad. If you are an international student, also review the Travel Guidance for International Students webpage.

Yes. Visit Engaged Michigan for guidance.

Please note that the guidance is in place for University of Michigan Related Travel (UMRT). The University of Michigan does not prohibit personal travel, though any travel during COVID-19 should be carefully considered. See Global Michigan for international travel guidance and Engaged Michigan for domestic travel guidance.

Please visit the UHS COVID-19 Testing for International Travelers page if you plan to travel abroad. If you are an international student, also review the Travel Guidance for International Students webpage.

Travelers arriving from international locations are encouraged to follow additional CDC guidance based on their vaccination status.

Fully vaccinated individuals:

Before you arrive in the United States:

• All air passengers coming to the United States, including U.S. citizens and fully vaccinated people, are required to have a negative COVID-19 test result no more than 3 days before travel, or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 in the 3 months prior to their boarding a flight to the United States.

After travel:

• Get tested with a viral test 3-5 days after travel.
• If your test is positive, isolate yourself to protect others from getting infected.
• Self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms; isolate and get tested if you develop symptoms.

Unvaccinated individuals:

Before you travel:

• Per the CDC Requirement for Proof of Negative COVID-19 Test or Recovery from COVID-19 for All Air Passengers Arriving in the United States page, if you plan to travel internationally, you will need to get tested no more than 3 days before you travel by air into the United States (U.S.) and show your negative result to the airline before you board your flight, or be prepared to show documentation of recovery (proof of a recent positive viral test and a letter from your health care provider or a public health official stating that you were cleared to travel).
• Delay your travel if you are waiting for test results.

After Arriving in the United States:

• Get tested within 3-5 days of your arrival.
• Complete a 7-day self-quarantine period, which limits your interactions with the general public. During this period, you are expected to monitor your health, reduce your contact with others and follow guidance consistent with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. See this FAQ on how to self-quarantine.
• Avoid being around people who are at increased risk for severe illness for 14 days.
• Do not attend in-person classes or academic activities.
• Do not go to in-person work assignments.

• Testing appointments are available to all members of the U-M community through the Community Sampling & Tracking Program. Those arriving from international locations are directed to get tested at either the Pierpont Commons or Palmer Commons location.

  • Individuals who do not have an Mcard will need to register for the CSTP program here in advance of coming to get tested.
  • Even if you test negative, self-quarantine for the full 7 days.
• Follow state and local recommendations or requirements related to travel.

See the International Center website for additional guidance for international students, scholars, and employees.

Students traveling internationally on a U-M managed program are required to have an authorized COVID-19 vaccination and complete the “Student COVID-19 Vaccination Self-Report Form” in Wolverine Access before traveling abroad unless they have an approved exemption. Students traveling internationally, but not on a U-M managed program, are strongly encouraged to be fully vaccinated before travel.

Please visit the COVID-19 & Travel FAQ for details.

Students can report their vaccination status in Wolverine Access by following instructions on the Campus Maize and BLUEprint website.

U-M’s vaccine requirement for students participating in international U-M managed programs is the most important and effective way to protect individual travelers while protecting the communities that travelers may be entering and/or exiting. Our goal is to provide an international experience that is safe so that students can focus on their learning objectives. We appreciate your support with helping us to achieve this goal.

For the purposes of this requirement, U-M managed programs subject to this requirement include international education programs (study abroad, internship, field work, etc.) within the M-Compass application management system. For these programs in M-Compass, U-M units organize the experience, collect application requirements, and make application decisions. Travel registrations and “funding” programs are not considered U-M managed programs even if they are considered University of Michigan Related Travel (UMRT).

Note 1: Students traveling abroad independently for University of Michigan Related Travel (UMRT) and not on a “U-M Managed Program” as defined above are not subject to these guidelines. Though these students are not required to be vaccinated to travel internationally, U-M strongly encourages all students to be fully vaccinated before travel.

Note 2: These guidelines only apply to students traveling on U-M Ann Arbor campus managed programs. Students traveling on U-M Flint or U-M Dearborn should follow U-M Flint or U-M Dearborn guidelines.