FAQ
Dining
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HBS Operations and Restaurant Associates are currently practicing the following protocols to ensure the community’s health and safety:
- Training: All associates and managers have been trained in the latest protocols for cleaning, protection, and food safety.
Cleaning: During service, all high-touch surfaces are cleaned and sanitized at least every hour, and each outlet receives thorough cleaning every night. Dining room tables are cleaned in between each use.
- Packaging: For your convenience and safety All food items and utensils have been prepackaged.
- Physical Distancing: To support physical distancing, no more than 25 people can be in the Food Outlets during service, including dining staff. We monitor capacity throughout service and have signs, stanchions, and floor markings to ensure six feet of separation. Food consumption is permitted only in Spangler Dining Room, Williams Room, Spangler Grille, and Spangler Lounge; also Chao 220/240 Dining Rooms, and Chao 1st and 2nd-floor lounge areas. These locations are set up to accommodate individual dining. Initially, congregate dining (two or more individuals dining together) is not permitted. Dining at any outdoor campus location is also permitted. Only remove your mask while actively eating. People who have a private office or dorm room are encouraged to use those spaces for eating whenever possible.
- Contactless Payment & Ordering: The Aldrich Cart offers self-checkout kiosks with contactless payment. In addition, all campus food outlets have been outfitted with contactless payment systems.
- The Thrive mobile app is the way to go for quick, easy, contactless food and coffee orders. Avoid the Spangler rush and pick up at your convenience.
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HBS provided catering is limited to outdoor student events at this time. Please visit the Operations website (login required) for information on both HBS and self-catering options for fall 2020..
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Yes, face coverings are required by all members of the community in the dining outlets.
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No. Community members who are in self-quarantine should remain home and limit their contact with others during this time. Those in HBS housing can arrange online ordering and delivery (housing@hbs.edu).
MBA Student Partners
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Only students, staff, and faculty who have permission to be on campus are eligible to participate in the Harvard testing program.
Partners who are determined to be a close contact of a positive case and are in quarantine may be activated in the campus testing protocol. The process to enable testing happens automatically but may take 2-3 business days to complete. SAS will be in touch directly about how and when to begin testing.
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Tests may not be taken by another household member of an eligible tester.
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They should immediately isolate. Isolation usually lasts 10 days and possibly up to 14 days. They'll stay in their room or home for the duration of their isolation (with the exception of evacuating the building for a life-threatening emergency).
They can also begin making a list of potential close contacts for use during the clinical intake process. (A “close contact” is defined by the CDC as “any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for 15 minutes cumulatively over a 24-hour period.”) Although they may feel concerned for their possible close contacts, they shouldn’t start reaching out to those on their list. They should take care of themselves and leave it to the experts to decide who needs to be called.
HUHS will call them and they should answer their call promptly and questions truthfully. If they do not hear from HUHS, they should call 617-495-5711.
They will not be testing during isolation. An individual who tests positive will not be tested again for 90 days following the positive results unless testing is needed to clear travel-related quarantine.
At the end of their isolation period, HUHS will notify them of their release date and time.
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If you test positive, you will likely be contacted by the local Department of Public Health but should feel free to reach out to your primary care physician (PCP) in the meantime. As is the case if your student tests positive, you should immediately isolate and create a list of potential close contacts. The Department of Public Health and/or your physician will provide additional guidance, which will likely coincide with the guidance provided above. If you live together, the student should quarantine in another room from you and await outreach from the Department of Public Health.
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Contact tracers from HUHS will reach out via phone to those identified as close contacts. Your student should follow the guidance provided by the contact tracer, which is usually asking them to return to their residence immediately and begin quarantine. HUHS will provide clinical monitoring and SAS will provide support for the duration of their quarantine period. Feel free to contact SAS at 1-617-495-6087, 8am-5pm, Mon.-Fri., or sas@hbs.edu for support. During their quarantine period they may not leave their residence unless authorized by HUHS such as for testing. They should not move around or come to campus or attend any in-person activities.
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HUHS would only call you if you are identified as a close contact of an HBS index case. Follow the guidance provided by the contact tracer, which is usually asking you to return to your residence immediately and begin quarantine. HUHS will provide clinical monitoring, and SAS will provide support for the duration of your quarantine period. Feel free to contact SAS at 1-617-495-6087, 8am-5pm, Mon.-Fri., or sas@hbs.edu for support. During your quarantine period you may not leave your residence unless authorized by HUHS such as for testing. Do not move around or come to campus or attend any in-person activities.
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Partners of our MBA and Doctoral students are considered full members of our HBS Community and are treated as students in terms of campus access. They are not considered visitors or guests. If they haven’t done so already, we also encourage students to register their partners with the MBA and Doctoral program office, even if at this moment the partner does not anticipate coming to the HBS campus. Please contact partners@hbs.edu with any additional questions.
Personal Health
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Yes. Community members may use any face covering that conforms to the HBS mask requirements listed under Face Coverings.
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If you are eligible to test, but cannot participate in testing, please contact your manager (for staff), unit head (for faculty) or program staff (for MBA and doctoral) (mbaanddoctoral@hbs.edu; 1-617-495-6087) to discuss an exemption. Please note, if you cannot participate because you have previously tested positive, please contact HUHS directly at (617) 495-5711 or healthservices@huhs.harvard.edu.
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A range of options may be considered, depending on your specific situation, to support your health, safety, and well-being. MBA students should contact Student and Academic Services. Doctoral students should contact the Doctoral Programs Office. Staff should contact their manager or department head. Faculty should contact their Unit Head or program chair.
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We ask that you use Crimson Clear to report when you are experiencing COVID symptoms, have a recent exposure to a positive case, or test positive outside of our program. When you do so, HUHS can follow up to provide you with health guidance.
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A range of options may be considered, depending on your specific situation. MBA students should contact Student and Academic Services. Doctoral students should contact the Doctoral Programs Office. Staff should contact their manager or department head. Faculty should contact their Unit Head or program chair.
Vaccinations
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Harvard is requiring COVID vaccination for all community members who will have any on-campus presences this fall, including students, faculty, staff, and researchers.
Visit the COVID-19 Vaccine Information page for guidance on how to verify your vaccine or schedule an appointment to get a vaccine. If you have begun your vaccination series but not completed it (i.e., you have had only one does of a two-dose vaccine), please indicate that so we know your vaccination is in process.
Once you are vaccinated, you must submit verification of your completed vaccination card received from your vaccination provider. Images of these cards should be submitted to HUHS through the Patient Portal. You do not need to be an HUHS patient to submit your card through the Patient Portal.
HUHS keeps individual information secure and confidential.
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All community members with a regular on-campus presence are expected to continue with their COVID-19 testing cadence at this time. Similarly, all community members are required to mask up on campus regardless of vaccine status.
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Fully vaccinated individuals will not be required to quarantine if they have been contact traced, but will likely need to produce their CDC vaccination card for the contact tracers as proof of vaccination.
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