Harvard University Health Services (HUHS) will receive a system-based notification from Crimson Clear that an individual has not been cleared. This information will be held confidentially by HUHS. If you are not cleared you need to stay at home. You should not return to campus for 14 days following the resolution of the symptoms

Faculty and staff should alert their manager or unit head and report sick time in PeopleSoft or another Harvard timekeeping system.

Students assigned to an in-person seat in a hybrid classroom should attend class virtually instead for 14 days. If you cannot attend class virtually due to your symptoms, please report your absence.

If you filled out a Crimson Clear form incorrectly and received a "Not Clear" status, contact HUHS at 617-495-5711 and request a reset of the submission. This will allow you to complete and submit a new self-assessment.

Crimson Clear passes will not be routinely inspected when you access campus though there may be a need to show the pass for participation in specific activities, including to pick-up an unobserved testing kit. Please have your current cleared pass available on your phone whenever you are on campus.

Please reference the virtual event planning guide (login required), which offers best practices and resources. Email events@hbs.edu if you need additional help.

Consistent with Massachusetts guidance, HBS will follow limits on gathering sizes (currently no more than 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors) as well as requirements for physical distancing and the appropriate use of face coverings. Signage, markings, and the removal or relocation of furniture (e.g., in the Schwartz Common or in project rooms) will support these efforts. Additionally, campus buildings are locked and will require Harvard ID card access.

Face coverings currently are required in indoor spaces, including all dining facilities and retail locations, where contact or interaction with others is expected. Face coverings are also required outdoors when physical distancing is not possible, as well as at all events / gatherings and when preparing to enter Harvard buildings and shuttles. There is a limit of 10 for informal gatherings both inside and outside.

While meetings should be remote or outdoor whenever possible, small group meetings in offices and conference rooms are possible if all parties agree, group size is at or below the room’s stated capacity (for offices without stated capacities, this may be two or three people in order to ensure at least six feet of distance), masks are worn and attendees maintain six feet of distance at all times, no food or beverage is consumed, attendees wipe down all surfaces that have potentially been touched at the conclusion of the meeting, and meetings are scheduled with a buffer of at least ten minutes to reduce interaction with attendees of subsequent meetings.

Students’ children are welcome on campus. Upon arrival into MA, children (like partners) need to follow current state of MA guidance on quarantine. Children under the age of 18 need to be accompanied by an adult. At on-campus events, infants/children who are not in a parent’s arms or in a stroller count as participants. Children ages 2+ must wear a mask (indoors always, outdoors when not maintaining 6’ of distance).

Learn more about Harvard affiliated centers.

Please be in touch with Joyce Majewski (MBA) or Jen Mucciarone (Doctoral) to discuss how to balance academic life and family in a remote environment.

Childcare Scholarships: Faculty, staff, and doctoral students are eligible for childcare scholarships. For more information and application forms please visit the Harvard Financial Assistance for Child Care site.

HBS Biddle Fund for COVID-19 Relief: The Biddle Fund (login required) offers financial awards to HBS staff and students experiencing hardship as a result of the pandemic.

We understand that information about day cares and schools will evolve in the coming months, and that it will vary by school district.

For students: Students are asked to stay in touch with Joyce Majewski (MBA) or Jen Mucciarone (Doctoral) to discuss options.

For faculty and staff: Harvard offers a variety of resources for faculty and staff. To expedite services, please register for support on the Care@Work page, even if you are not certain you will need it.

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.

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..

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).

We are tailoring menu options to offer flexibility for those with allergies and dietary restrictions. Please do not hesitate to connect with a manager upon arrival if you have any questions regarding allergens or dietary restrictions, or to email catering@hbs.edu.

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.

Testing will continue over winter break, although there will be an adjusted pickup and drop-off schedule, including some days during which the Broad lab will not be collecting tests. Please consult the Testing page for the latest information. Students who remain on-campus should continue to test based on their normal testing cadence (taking into account the adjusted pickup/drop-off schedule).

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.

While we’re unable to provide HBS-specific data given privacy concerns, you can find the most updated Harvard-wide data on the HU-wide COVID-19 Testing Dashboard. While most of the graduate students are from HBS, other graduate students are included in this data as well.

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.

The School will not pay for these expenses. Staff and students can apply to the HBS Biddle Fund for COVID-19 Relief (login required), which offers financial awards to those experiencing hardship as a result of the pandemic.

Yes. Community members may use any face covering that conforms to the HBS mask requirements listed under Face Coverings.

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.

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.

If you are concerned that you may have been exposed to COVID-19 or are experiencing symptoms, please review and follow HUHS’ guidance on whether you should self-isolate/quarantine and contact HUHS directly at (617) 495-5711 or healthservices@huhs.harvard.edu to set up a testing appointment. You should not submit an unobserved test.

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.

Yes. A limited supply of reusable cloth masks will be available at Student Support Services, Spangler 2nd floor, Guest Services, Chao Center 1st floor and at the Fitness Service Desk, Shad 1st floor.

HBS is pleased to offer these cloth starter masks, however you will need to source additional masks for ongoing use.

Masks must meet the HBS requirements detailed above in Face Coverings. In the hybrid classroom, HBS will provide and require surgical masks.

Massachusetts requires all persons, including employees, students, customers, and vendors to remain at least six feet (two meters) apart to the greatest extent possible, both inside and outside. At HBS everyone must practice physical distancing, including maintaining a 6-foot distance from others, modifying in-person interactions, respectfully staying away from vulnerable populations and sick people, and avoiding large, crowded gatherings. Each person’s individual choices directly impact the safety and health of every other member of the HBS community.

It depends on whether or not they have tested positive or have symptoms. HUHS provides helpful guidance on when self-quarantine or isolation should be followed.

Quarantine Policies may be updated based on changes in guidance from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and Harvard University.

Enrolled students can access the full range of support resources, including MBA Support Services, the HUHS 24/7 Mental Health Hotline (+1 617-495-5711), and the 24/7 HELP Hotline (+1 617-998-HELP).

• Depending on your destination(s) and the HBS quarantine requirements at the time of your return, you may be required to quarantine before returning to campus activities. International travel from CDC-designated countries in the last 14 days will be denied re-entry to the US, so avoid visiting or transiting through those countries.
• Effective as of January 26, the CDC has issued a COVID testing requirement (taken no more than 3 days in advance, enforced by the airlines) for all international travelers entering the US, regardless of nationality.
• Faculty and staff authorized to work on campus should follow the Harvard University Post-Travel COVID Testing and Quarantine Policy upon returning from personal travel.
• Students returning from personal travel must follow the quarantine policies for students living in on- and off- campus housing.
• Students who are fully vaccinated may return to campus activity following a single negative PCR test.
• If you experience COVID-19 symptoms upon your return, please contact your primary care provider and HUHS.

• The Centers for Disease Control currently prohibit entry to the US for foreign nationals who have visited these countries in the past 14 days. If you are able to spend 14 days in a country that is not among those listed by the CDC before arriving, you should be permitted to enter the US with a valid visa and supporting documentation.
• The US Department of State recently published guidance surrounding National Interest Exceptions, which states “Students traveling from the Schengen Area, the UK, and Ireland with valid F-1 and M-1 visas, do not need to seek a national interest exception to travel. Students from those areas who are traveling on a J-1 may contact the nearest embassy or consulate to initiate an exception request.” Students who are not citizens of these countries, or whom are traveling with spouses in different visa categories, should continue to avoid transiting through these countries.
  

Harvard strongly discourages personal travel, both domestic and international. If you choose to travel for personal reasons, such as recruiting, please register your travel in MyTrips (international travel) or in the Domestic Travel Poll(domestic travel) and thoroughly research all current entry restrictions and quarantine requirements for your destination, the State of Massachusetts and Harvard. International students who visited certain CDC-designated countries in the last 14 days will be denied re-entry to the US. Students returning from personal travel must follow stricter quarantine standards due to living in a “congregate setting.” Please review the quarantine policies for students living in on- and off- campus housing.

If you are approved by your manager to work on campus on a regular basis and you sit in an open office area with low cubicle partitions or your desk is at a circulation crossroad, speak with your manager to assess the potential availability of another workstation. If another workstation is unavailable or if modifications are needed, your department’s business manager can submit an Operations service request to discuss and identify options.