Dear Howard University Community,

I am pleased to announce that the DC Office of Planning and the DC Department of Health have reviewed our prevention, containment and mitigation measures, along with our communication and data collection plans, and deemed them compliant with the requirements of the Coronavirus 2019 Guidance for Colleges and Universities.

This approval provides us with the authority to proceed with our re-opening plan, provided that we adhere to the guidance as listed. If changes are made to the protocol, the University is allowed to do so, but must update the plan on record with the District. 

As previously mentioned in the August 1 letter to campus, Howard University will have on-campus testing available, and students will be tested frequently throughout the semester. The previously established requirement to present a negative coronavirus test that is taken within 7 days of reporting to campus remains in effect. For clarity, if you are scheduled to move into the residence halls on August 14, you should take a coronavirus test in your local area no earlier than August 7. Consumers are reporting that test results are received on average between 3 - 5 days. Prior to traveling to campus, please email your test results to the Howard University Student Health Services Center at: SHCscreening@howard.edu. For the safety of our campus community, and to mitigate the risk of a spread, students who test positive for the coronavirus SHOULD NOT report to campus, but instead take advantage of online course offerings and pursue studies remotely.

This week, we are fine-tuning the location and logistics for on-site testing and will share the details with you as they are refined. The first step of the move-in process will be testing. In direct response to the mandate from the DC Department of Health, after taking the on-campus coronavirus test, students who have traveled from the states identified as hot spots will immediately go into a 14-day quarantine in their single-occupancy rooms. Food will be provided to all quarantined students via a reservation system. This will be a true quarantine, meaning students will be prohibited from leaving their room with few exceptions. Please note: Even with a negative test result from the campus test, the DC law requires the full 14 days of quarantine to be completed. Therefore, please be sure to bring everything you will need (e.g. course materials, toiletries, medication, electronics, your favorite snacks) with you upon room check-in.

As a reminder, individuals with certain pre-existing medical conditions may be more vulnerable to the virus. DC guidance identifies the following medical conditions that require such vulnerable individuals to exercise special care to protect themselves:

• Chronic Lung Disease
• Moderate to Severe Asthma
• Serious heart conditions
• Immunocompromised conditions
• Severe obesity (>40 Body Mass Index)
• Diabetes
• Chronic Kidney Disease
• Liver Disease

If you have any of the above medical conditions, it is advised that you consult your medical professional for advice as to whether you should stay home and take classes remotely.

We fully understand that these requirements are stringent, but the measures in place are in alignment with local government guidelines. If you do not have a critical need to be on campus, and particularly if you are coming from a hot spot state, please consider staying home and taking your classes online. Again, our goal with providing housing is to accommodate students who need to be on campus due to extenuating circumstances, such as no access to wi-fi or food and housing insecurities.

We are asking for your patience as we approach the start of the fall 2020 semester. It is an exceptional semester that is replete with challenges. As students make changes to their schedules and residential options, bills will be revised to reflect your selections. You will be receiving frequent updates from various campus divisions to inform you of changes being made. Please read the communications from the Howard University team, and complete the necessary actions required in a timely manner so that we can deliver excellent customer service.

Thank you in advance for your assistance and cooperation.

Excellence In Truth and Service,

Wayne A. I. Frederick, M.D., MBA
President