Strict observance of public health protocols by University of Nebraska–Lincoln students has allowed group quarantines to be lifted at 11 Greek houses and the third floor of Eastside Suites.
At this time, there are no group quarantines related to COVID-19 on campus. Details on health and safety protocols, including quarantine and isolation, are available on the university’s COVID-19 website.
“I would like to thank the very positive leadership from all of our students who have been in quarantine and successfully followed public health guidance,” Chancellor Ronnie Green said. “There is no negativity associated with a quarantine. Your honesty in getting tested and reporting your status with the virus has helped limit the spread and protect your fellow students, faculty, staff and the greater Lincoln community.”
The university’s COVID-19 protocols are also showing positive influences on campus — particularly in the classroom. Based on testing and contact tracing, the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department has not recorded evidence of classroom-based transmission on campus. The university has also avoided large outbreaks linked to a single residential unit, event or academic building, and recent testing data has shown a stabilization in the number of positive cases among students, faculty and staff.
To help maintain the positive momentum in limiting spread of the virus, the university community is strongly encouraged to continue following all public health protocols related to COVID-19 — including wearing facial coverings, good hygiene (using hand sanitizing stations when hand washing is unavailable) and practicing social distancing.
Campus policies require that facial coverings be worn at all times indoors and when six-foot distancing cannot be maintained outdoors; however specific exceptions exist. A complete overview of the facial coverings policy is available here.
Mask use and capacity limitations should be observed at all times when in community study spaces — including those in University Libraries and the Nebraska Unions.
Any employee, student or visitor who fails to abide by the facial covering guidelines may be asked to leave the campus space. Failure to comply by an employee or student may result in disciplinary action.
Group quarantine notices for campus are issued by the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department based on a variety of factors, including the number of cases that occur in close proximity within a campus facility. Each quarantine last for 14 total days and ends on the 15th day.
If a member of a quarantined area tests positive during the 14 days, the timeline resets and starts all over again.
Per Centers for Disease Control guidelines issued Sept. 18, the university is asking anyone in quarantine to schedule a COVID-19 test on day five or six of the quarantine. This is the time after exposure when the virus typically becomes detectable by a test. Testing after exposure helps more quickly identify positive cases.
A negative test does not mean quarantine can end. All individuals must complete a full 14-day quarantine after last exposure.
Students who opt to go home to quarantine should get tested between days 10 and 14 and receive a negative result to return to an on-campus living facility.
Learn more about the university’s ongoing COVID-19 response.
