COVID-19 Quarantine Notice

COVID-19 Quarantine for University or College-Affiliated Congregate Living

October 15, 2020

Purpose: This fall Lane County has experienced a significant growth in cases of COVID-19, with the highest number of cases in age range from 11 years to 20, and 21 years to 30. Until further notice, in the event of positive COVID-19 cases in, Lane County Public Health will shift to group quarantine for congregate living houses affiliated with colleges and universities in order to achieve more successful quarantine to better contain the spread of disease. The current practice of individually removing contacts to separate living spaces is challenging to monitor for compliance and to provide needed case management and supports, and does not align with the reality that for most of these living arrangements, the members truly operate as a single household with shared living, dining, and often sleeping spaces.

Scope: This process will apply to off-campus, university or college-affiliated congregate living facilities such as student cooperative houses, religiously affiliated living groups, fraternity and sorority chapter house, fraternity and sorority “live out houses.” These facilities are ones in which each individual has a private or shared bedroom, and shares with other residents common living quarters, including kitchen/dining, bathrooms, or other facilities. The university and participating colleges will compile to the best of their ability a list of these facilities and provide it to Lane County Public Health. This process applies to quarantine of close contacts, and does not change the practice of isolation of people who are positive for COVID-19 in another location.

Process: In the event that someone who resides in one of these subject facilities is determined to be positive for COVID-19, Lane County Public Health will determine if others in the facility qualify as close contacts. In the event that more than one person in the facility is a close contact, Lane County Public Health will issue a quarantine notice for everyone who lives at the facility. The notice will include:

  • Quarantine notice to the individuals residing in the facility, including instructions for quarantine and a statement that quarantine dates will be extended in the event of new positive cases of COVID-19
  • Notice to the relevant university’s or college’s health services and students services with the name and address of the facility, and the dates for quarantine
  • Notice to the owner of the facility with dates for quarantine

Each individual residing in the facility will be considered a Person Under Monitoring and will be assigned to the Corona Corps for daily monitoring and case management support. In the event that individuals fail to comply with quarantine, Lane County Public Health and/or the Corona Corps will notify the appropriate university or college officials (e.g., University of Oregon’s Dean of Students Office, Lane Community College Associate Vice President, Student Affairs, Bushnell University Dean of Students) for follow-up with the student.

— Lane County Department of Public Health