Berkeley Law COVID-19 Protocols

These protocols are subject to change. They are based on the current campus “what to do if you test positive for COVID-19” guidance, the California Department of Health guidance on isolation and quarantine, the City of Berkeley isolation & quarantine orders, and CDC guidance. Please feel free to reach out to Associate Dean Jonathan Glater (glater@berkeley.edu) or CAO Charles Cannon (cgcannon@berkeley.edu) with questions.

See also: Event, Catering and Food Policy


 

If you have COVID symptoms, regardless of vaccination status and whether you know you have been in close contact with a positive case:

  • For medical advice about your symptoms, contact your medical provider or the UHS nurse line for students (510-643-7197).
  • Get tested. (On-campus testing is available here. At-home tests are widely available.
  • If test results are positive, follow the appropriate steps below.

If you test positive for COVID:

  • Stay home, regardless of vaccination status.
  • Notify your close contacts that you tested positive and they should get tested. Do this even if you tested positive at a campus testing site.
  • You may end isolation 5 full days after your symptoms start (or after your first positive test date if no symptoms) if you test negative on day 5 or later and you have had no fever for 24 hours and any other symptoms are resolving. Refer to campus guidance for additional details on this option 
  • If you do not test after 5 days (or if your test is positive), isolate for at least 10 full days from your first symptoms or first positive test, continuing until any fever resolves and other symptoms are improving.
  • Wear a well-fitting, high quality mask (i.e. an N-95, KN-95, KF-94, or surgical mask covered by a cloth mask) around others, even when outdoors, for at least 10 full days.
  • Students: notify your instructors that you need to miss class while ill/isolating.
  • Instructors: notify students by bCourses announcement that you will conduct class via Zoom while ill/isolating (or cancel class and schedule make up sessions if you are too ill to teach). Also notify Associate Registrar Claire Blide (cblide@law.berkeley.edu) that you will be temporarily teaching via Zoom (or scheduling make up sessions).
  • Staff: notify your supervisor if you are unable to work as usual while ill/isolating.

 If you have been in close contact with a positive case, but  are asymptomatic, you need not quarantine and may attend class/work. But you should:

  • Monitor for symptoms and stay home if you become symptomatic (see above).
  • Wear a well-fitting, high-quality mask (i.e. an N-95, KN-95, KF-94, or surgical mask covered by a cloth mask) around others for at least 10 full days.
  • Get tested 3-5 days after exposure, either by an at-home test or an on-campus test.
  • If you test positive, follow instructions above.
  • If symptoms develop, follow instructions above. 

Note: although you should notify your close contacts if you test positive, do not share information about other people’s positive cases without their permission.

Instructors should excuse student absences for illness/self-isolation, but should not attempt to conduct their own contact tracing if they learn of COVID cases. Nor should instructors announce or make any statements about positive cases in their classes.

To help ensure that you are notified in the event of a close contact, sign up for CA Notify. See additional updated information from University Health Services here and lots of other helpful information in this Return to Campus guide. 

Thank you for doing your part to keep our community healthy!

Last updated August 3, 2022