Dear Faculty and Staff,
Last week, 824 employees participated in our COVID surveillance testing, with 15 positive cases (1.8% positivity rate). As you may be aware, Greenville County’s positivity rate has been over 30% for weeks now, so we want to applaud you and the rest of the Furman community for doing your part to keep our campus safe. These data will be posted on the COVID Dashboard this Thursday.
We will continue the required COVID surveillance testing of employees who are working on campus this Thursday, January 28. This includes part-time employees, adjunct faculty, and contracted employees. Employees should report to work as currently scheduled and not wait until after getting tested or delay their return to avoid testing. In other words, employees do not need a negative COVID test to return to on-campus work.
Employees who will continue to work remotely after this week and for at least the next three weeks are exempt from this testing requirement. Several employees contacted Human Resources this weekend to notify us that they were working remotely. If you have not done this already and you are working 100% remotely without the chance of coming on campus in the next three weeks, please contact Human Resources and let us know. Remote employees wanting or needing a test may consider using one of DHEC’s free testing sites. DHEC is providing results within 3-4 days.
Employees working on campus, please report to the testing tents located in the Daniel Chapel parking lot near Paladin Stadium on January 28. You may either drive or walk to the testing site, and there will be directional signage. If you drive, you may stay in your vehicle to be tested. Testing will occur regardless of weather conditions.
Employees with last names A-M should arrive to the on-campus testing site between 7 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Employees with last names N-Z should arrive to the on-campus testing site between 12:30 and 5 p.m. If you need to, you may come during the other time block without requesting special permission.
To make the process more efficient for those being tested, a nasal swab will be used to collect the samples. The saliva-based collection test will be available for employees who prefer this option. You may select either option at the testing tent.
Please bring your Furman ID with you. Contracted employees, bring your driver’s license. There is no cost.
If you have tested positive for COVID-19 using a SARS-Cov-2 PCR test since October 30, 2020, you will not have to test, but you must submit documentation of a dated PCR test as an attachment in an email to Human Resources by January 27. Note that a positive rapid antigen test or a positive serological test for COVID-19 antibodies will not be accepted, and you must still be tested next week.
On the day of the test, if you are experiencing any of the symptoms of COVID-19 (fever of 100.4˚ or higher and/or chills, difficulty breathing/shortness of breath, body ache, new or persistent cough, loss of taste or smell, new rash or blisters), submit your LiveSafe health survey and call Human Resources at 864-294-2217.
The Employee Health Clinic will call any employee who tests positive and provide instructions for next steps. Human Resources will email all employees who test negative within 48 hours.
This test on Thursday is mandatory for employees working on campus. We thank you in advance for your cooperation. If you have any questions, please reply to this email for further instructions.
Sincerely,
Sharen L. Beaulieu
Associate Vice President of Human Resources