Testing and Test Kits
(Last updated Jan. 10, 2023)
Clark University is no longer conducting community-wide surveillance testing. However, the following protocols and testing availability are in place for the fall:
Students
- Students are strongly encouraged to test at home 24 hours before traveling to campus.
- Students are not required to test on arrival, but rapid antigen tests will be available at the Information Desk in the Higgins University Center and at Clark Health Services.
- Rapid antigen tests are readily available at local pharmacies (e.g. Walgreens and CVS) and should be either free upfront or reimbursed through your health insurance provider. Clarkies should utilize these sources to obtain a rapid test if they are experiencing COVID-like symptoms, believe they have been in close contact with someone who is positive, or if they feel the need to test prior to visiting someone facing a higher risk of illness. A limited supply of free tests are available at the Information Desk in the Higgins University Center and at Clark Health Services for those with urgent testing needs.
- Any student who tests positive at any time during the semester should inform Clark Health Services, 1-508-793-7467.
- Anyone who tests positive is asked to notify any individuals with whom they believe they’ve been in close contact. The CDC defines close contact as: Someone who was less than 6 feet away from an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period.
- If you test positive after attending an event, please alert the event organizer so they can notify other attendees to get tested.
- Contact tracing: MassNotify is a service, developed in partnership with Google and Apple, that allows you to do contact tracing through your smartphone to help slow the spread of COVID-19. If you’ve been near another user who tests positive for COVID-19 within a 14-day period, you will be notified. If you test positive, you can easily and anonymously notify others. Learn more »
Employees
- Rapid antigen tests are readily available at local pharmacies (e.g. Walgreens and CVS) and should be either free upfront or reimbursed through your health insurance provider. Clark employees should use these sources to obtain a rapid test if they are experiencing COVID-like symptoms, believe they have been in close contact with someone who is positive, or if they feel the need to test prior to visiting someone facing a higher risk of illness. Limited test supplies are available at the Information Desk in the Higgins University Center for those with urgent testing needs.
- Anyone who tests positive is asked to notify any individuals with whom they believe they’ve been in close contact. The CDC defines close contact as: Someone who was less than 6 feet away from an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period.
- If you test positive after attending an event, please alert the event organizer so they can notify other attendees to get tested.
- Contact tracing: MassNotify is a service, developed in partnership with Google and Apple, that allows you to do contact tracing through your smartphone to help slow the spread of COVID-19. If you’ve been near another user who tests positive for COVID-19 within a 14-day period, you will be notified. If you test positive, you can easily and anonymously notify others. Learn more »
Mask-Wearing Guidelines
(Last updated Aug. 5, 2022)
Clark University is a mask-optional campus, with some exceptions.
- Wearing a mask is recommended in crowded indoor settings.
- Faculty members can establish mask policies in their classrooms.
- Staff may ask others to wear a mask in office spaces.
- Organizers of on-campus events, in coordination with the Office of Student Leadership and Programming or the Office of Events Planning, can specify that masks be worn at an event.
- Event organizers who decide to require masks should communicate this clearly in event invitations and materials, make masks available, and be responsible for any reminders and in-event enforcement.
- The organizer should reiterate the mask requirement at the outset of the event.
- If you test positive shortly after attending an event, you are encouraged to notify the organizer of your positive status.
- KN95 masks are available at the Information Desk in the University Center. Information about effective mask-wearing can be found on the CDC website.
- Some members of our Clark community will choose to regularly wear a mask. Please respect and honor their choice, and when you are out and about on campus, always keep a mask handy. If someone asks you to wear a mask in a particular office or situation, please wear one.
The University’s policy regarding mask-wearing, and other mitigation strategies, is subject to change depending on COVID-19 trends both locally and nationally, and guidance from health and government entities.
Quarantine and Isolation
(Last updated Aug. 5, 2022)
Students
Clark adheres to guidelines set out by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) regarding quarantine or isolation. With few exceptions, students will need to isolate in their rooms or at home, following best CDC practices for masking and distancing. This semester, the University has reserved a handful of private isolation spaces for students who are severely ill and have an acute health situation. Health Services will make the determination regarding students who may need one of these spaces.
Students who have tested positive and live with a roommate should:
- Stay in their residence hall room or their private residence except to use the bathroom/kitchen.
- Wear a high-quality mask (a surgical mask or a KN95 is best) in any shared spaces in your residence.
- Wash hands frequently and wipe down shared bathroom and other common surfaces after use.
- Refrain from sharing personal items, like cups, towels, and utensils.
- If the bathroom has a fan, turn it on for at least 30 minutes after use.
- Open windows when reasonable to do so and use a fan to increase air circulation.
- Do not have any friends or family visit during isolation.
Students who wish to move into a new temporary space when a roommate is isolating in place can email the Dean of Students office to discuss their options.
Medical Assistance During Isolation
Clark Health Services is available for all students to contact Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., 508-793-7467, for any medical questions for concerns during the academic year. If students have an urgent medical need on the weekend or another time of the day, Hahnemann Family Health Center provides an on-call service that can be reached through the Health Services number. Students are encouraged to try to wait to call between Monday and Friday unless they are experiencing urgent symptoms.
Meals During Isolation
- Students in isolation with a meal plan will have their food delivered to their place of isolation. The student should work with the Dean of Students or Campus Ambassadors to make arrangements for pick-up with Dining Services. To order your meal with Dining Services, please call extension 7563 and provide your name along with Clark ID number. Students will also have the option of asking a friend to deliver their meal.
- Students who are not under a meal plan may order food and supplies to be delivered to them at their residence.
- Students experiencing any difficulty obtaining meals, should contact the Dean of Students Office for assistance.
Employees
Any employee who tests positive should notify their health care provider, their Clark supervisor, and close contacts both on campus and in their personal life. The CDC no longer recommends quarantine for those who have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive. Instead of quarantining if you’re exposed to COVID-19, wear a high-quality mask for 10 days and get tested on or after day 5, irrespective of vaccination status.
Returning to class and work
Anyone who tests positive must isolate for five days, and can return to class or work after five days only if they are asymptomatic. They must wear a well-fitting mask for 10 days after their initial positive result when they are around others. According to the CDC, even if your antigen test results are negative, you may still be infectious. You should continue wearing a mask and wait at least 48 hours before taking another test. Continue taking antigen tests at least 48 hours apart until you have two sequential negative results. This may mean you need to continue wearing a mask and testing beyond day 10.
Clark follows CDC guidelines for isolation.
Events
(Last updated Nov. 1, 2022)
While Clark has returned to normal operations, it’s important to remember that COVID and other viruses are more easily transmitted in crowded settings, particularly as more events move indoors. We encourage event organizers to make clear in their promotional materials whether any specific precautions are being taken to mitigate the risk of spread so that members of the campus community can make informed decisions about attending.
If applicable to your event, we encourage you to indicate:
- If masks will be required or encouraged
- If masks will be provided on site
- Whether all or part of the event will take place outdoors
- Whether the event can be accessed online
Please remember that Clark recommends the wearing of masks in crowded indoor settings.
Visitor Policy
(Last updated Aug. 5, 2022)
All visitors should be notified of Clark’s vaccination requirement and the expectation that they are in compliance, and in compliance with all state and federal policy and guidelines. Clark is not requiring visitors to prove their vaccination status. All visitors should also be made aware of any mask requirement for a particular event.