The information outlined below provides an overview of Berklee’s COVID-19 quarantine and isolation procedures. Please note that this information is subject to change and the community will be notified of any changes accordingly. We continue to monitor and comply with guidelines from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Isolation Versus Quarantine
The terms “isolation” and "quarantine" both refer to the process of maintaining physical separation from other people for a period of time to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Berklee and our partners at Tufts Medical Center will follow the updated guidance from the CDC on quarantine and isolation periods.
Isolation: At Berklee, the term isolation refers to separating someone who is infected with COVID-19 (whether symptomatic or not) from people who are not infected. If you test positive for COVID-19, regardless of your vaccination status, you will be required to isolate for five days, so long as you have no symptoms or your symptoms are resolving and you do not have a fever.
Quarantine: The term quarantine refers to separating individuals who may have been exposed to COVID-19. Quarantine helps prevent the spread of COVID-19 that can occur before a person knows they are sick or if they are asymptomatic.
Faculty Notifications
The Health and Wellness team will notify a student's faculty members if a student is unable to attend class due to a medical reason, such as being in quarantine or isolation.
Isolation Procedures
If you test positive for COVID-19, regardless of your vaccination status, you will be required to isolate for five days, so long as you have no symptoms or your symptoms are resolving and you do not have a fever.
If you test positive or are in close contact with someone who does, it is critical that you wear a mask at all times around others to protect them from potential infection, whether or not you have symptoms and regardless of your vaccination status.
We are making arrangements to have additional isolation space for our residential students.
When an individual tests positive through Berklee’s testing system, Tufts Medical Center will immediately notify Berklee’s contact tracing team (CTT) and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to initiate the contact-tracing process (see Testing and Contact Tracing for details on this process).
Residential Students
- Go bag: All residential students should have a prepared go bag that contains 10 days worth of clothes, essential belongings, and necessities, such as medications. Your go bag should be ready prior to the start of the semester.
- Isolation instructions: Instructions for isolation will be provided to you by the CTT and an on-call staff member, so it is critical that you respond to phone calls as quickly as possible. You will also receive a follow-up email with all essential information, including directions to 32 Fenway, packing requirements, dining ordering instructions, behavioral expectations, and support resources and services.
- Reporting to your isolation room: Once you have received isolation instructions, report to Berklee’s designated isolation facility at 32 Fenway with your go bag. Per the instructions you will receive, notify a member of the on-call team once you have arrived at your assigned room.
- Room amenities: At 32 Fenway, you will be provided with essential amenities: linens (twin flat sheet, twin fitted sheet, pillow case, two bath towels, two hand towels, two face cloths, two blankets, and one laundry bag), cleaning supplies, and a microfridge, which heats and cools food.
- Food services: Each day, Aramark will make one contactless food delivery to students in isolation; the delivery will contain three meals and snacks. To receive a delivery, students are asked to place their orders by the end of the previous day (i.e., by midnight). If your isolation begins in between meal periods, Aramark will make individual deliveries until you can begin the daily ordering process. Detailed instructions on this will be provided when you begin your isolation. As a safety measure, you are not allowed to order food from outside vendors.
- Laundry: While in isolation, you will be able to do laundry on the third floor of 32 Fenway. Only one person is allowed in the laundry room at a time. Physical Plant will keep a box stocked with personal hygiene items in the laundry room in case you forget to bring anything.
- Room cleaning and trash pickup: Each room will be stocked with standard cleaning supplies, which you may use to keep your space clean. When your room trash is full or needs to be changed, bag it, securely tie it closed, and place it in the hallway outside your room in the evening. Physical Plant will do a round of trash pickup in the morning.
- Facility maintenance: If any type of maintenance is required in your room, Physical Plant will coordinate with Housing to schedule the services and make sure you have another space to wait in while the work is being performed.
- Medical assistance: In close partnership with Berklee’s COVID-19 administrator, Tufts Medical Center will manage your medical needs and help you through your recovery, providing telehealth resources through Tufts Medical Center. Please have your health insurance information available to share with Tufts. We also strongly encourage you to contact your health insurance provider to determine if Tufts Medical Center is in your plan network. If Tufts Medical Center does not participate in your health insurance plan, please contact your medical provider in order to coordinate care and clearance from isolation with the Berklee Health Services administrative team, reachable at covidhealthadministrator@berklee.edu. Documentation from any medical provider clearing you from isolation must be in compliance with the CDC guidelines.
- Emergencies: Call Berklee Public Safety at 617-747-8888 in the event of any emergency or if you have safety concerns.
- Daily check-in process: Throughout the isolation period, students are expected to engage in a daily check-in process with Berklee's on-call team.
- Visitors and leaving your room: It is important that those in isolation remain separated from others for the duration of their recovery. Therefore, visitors are not permitted, nor can other students who are also in isolation visit your room. The only times you are permitted to leave your isolation room are to do laundry and pick up your Aramark food deliveries.
- Classes: If you feel well enough to participate in classes remotely, please continue to do so. If you do not feel well, you are encouraged to rest and will not be penalized for missing class. To notify faculty members of an extended class absence, email Student Health and Wellness at healthandwellness@berklee.edu.
- Resuming on-campus activity: Berklee is following the criteria from the CDC for when it is safe to resume public activities. This criteria varies depending on your personal health condition and the severity of your infection. Berklee’s medical partner, Tufts Medical Center, will conduct a thorough examination to determine when it is safe for you to resume activities. Until you meet the CDC criteria and have been cleared by Tufts, you must continue to isolate.
Commuter Students
- Isolation instructions: Instructions for isolation will be provided to you by the CTT and an on-call staff member, so it is critical that you respond to phone calls as quickly as possible.
- Leaving campus: In addition to receiving detailed instructions, you will be asked to leave campus immediately and begin isolation at home. You must isolate immediately without exception. If you are unable to leave campus immediately, Berklee will work with you to find temporary accommodations so that you can isolate without delay.
- Visitors and errands: During isolation, it is imperative that you remain at home, physically separated from other people. This means that you should not run errands in person or allow visitors for the duration of your isolation. Instead, consider placing orders online with contactless delivery for essential items and connecting with family and friends remotely.
- Classes: If you feel well enough to participate in classes remotely, please continue to do so. If you do not feel well, you are encouraged to rest and will not be penalized for missing class. To notify faculty members of an extended class absence, email Student Health and Wellness at healthandwellness@berklee.edu.
- Medical assistance: In close partnership with Berklee’s COVID-19 administrator, Tufts Medical Center will manage your medical needs and help you through your recovery, providing telehealth resources through Tufts Medical Center. Please have your health insurance information available to share with Tufts. We also strongly encourage you to contact your health insurance provider to determine if Tufts Medical Center is in your plan network. If Tufts Medical Center does not participate in your health insurance plan, please contact your medical provider in order to coordinate care and clearance from isolation with the Berklee Health Services administrative team, reachable at covidhealthadministrator@berklee.edu. Documentation from any medical provider clearing you from isolation must be in compliance with the CDC guidelines.
- Resuming on-campus activity: Berklee is following the criteria of the CDC for when it is safe to resume public activities. This criteria varies depending on your personal health conditions and the severity of your infection. Until you meet the CDC criteria and have been cleared by Tufts Medical Center or your primary care provider, you must continue to isolate.
Faculty and Staff
- Isolation instructions: Instructions for isolation will be provided to you by the CTT and a Human Resources representative, so it is critical that you respond to phone calls as quickly as possible. You must isolate for 5 days—regardless of whether you are symptomatic or asymptomatic—and will need clearance from your physician to return to campus.
- Leaving campus and notifying your primary care provider: In addition to receiving detailed instructions, you will be asked to leave campus immediately and begin isolation at home, and connect with your primary care provider. If you are unable to leave campus immediately, Berklee will work with you to find temporary accommodations so that you can isolate without delay.
- Faculty teaching responsibilities while in isolation: If a substitute teacher is needed for a faculty member who cannot conduct classes due to COVID-19 or another illness, the current policy for class coverage and substitutes will apply. It can be found in the Policies and Guides section under Faculty Resources on the Academic Affairs website (login required).
- Staff work responsibilities while in isolation: If you are a staff member who must isolate, Human Resources will be in contact with you and coordinate with your manager on all work-related adjustments and accommodations. If you are able and remote work is available and approved by your supervisor, you may work remotely while in isolation.
- Resuming on-campus activity: Berklee is following the criteria of the CDC for when it is safe to resume public activities. This criteria varies depending on your personal health conditions and the severity of your infection. Until you meet the CDC criteria and have been cleared by your primary care provider, you must continue to isolate.
- Absence: If you are not well enough to work, you may use accrued PTO or may be eligible for COVID emergency sick leave. Learn more about leaves of absence, including COVID emergency sick leave.
Quarantine Procedures
When an individual tests positive for COVID-19, Berklee’s CTT will work with the individual to determine who may have been a close contact. If you have been identified as a close contact, you will be notified and will be required to follow the procedures below (see Testing and Contact Tracing for details on this process).
If you need to quarantine, please plan to do so in your residence hall or off-campus housing. Additional space is not available for students who need to quarantine; it is only for those who test positive and must isolate. Grab-and-go dining options will be made available for residential students in quarantine.
Students Who Are Vaccinated (and Boosted, if Eligible)
You are not required to quarantine.
Residential Students with Exemptions or Who Have Not Received But Are Eligible for the Booster
Students who are unvaccinated must follow the procedures below.
- Quarantine instructions: Instructions for quarantine will be provided to you by the CTT and an on-call staff member, so it is critical that you respond to phone calls as quickly as possible.
- Where to quarantine: You are required to quarantine off campus at your own expense (as outlined in the waiver you signed as part of the medical and religious exemption). Housing and dining will not be provided. You will receive a list of area hotel options that you may pursue.
- Medical assistance: In close partnership with Berklee’s COVID-19 administrator, Tufts Medical Center will manage your medical needs and help you through your recovery, providing telehealth resources through Tufts Medical Center. Please have your health insurance information available to share with Tufts. We also strongly encourage you to contact your health insurance provider to determine if Tufts Medical Center is in your plan network. If Tufts Medical Center does not participate in your health insurance plan, please contact your medical provider in order to coordinate care and clearance from isolation with the Berklee Health Services administrative team, reachable at covidhealthadministrator@berklee.edu. Documentation from any medical provider clearing you from isolation must be in compliance with the CDC guidelines.
- Emergencies: Call Berklee Public Safety at 617-747-8888 in the event of any emergency or if you have safety concerns.
- Daily check-in process: Throughout the isolation period, students are expected to engage in a daily check-in process with Berklee's on-call team.
- Visitors and leaving your room: It is important that those in quarantine remain separated from others for the duration of their quarantine.
- Classes: During quarantine, you will be expected to participate in your classes remotely. If you do not feel well enough to participate in class, please follow your normal protocol for notifying faculty of an absence.
- Resuming on-campus activity: You will be able to resume campus activities after you receive a negative test result and are symptom-free. The exact length of your quarantine will depend on guidance from our partners at Tufts Medical Center at that time. After the quarantine period, continue to complete the testing protocols.
Commuter Students with Exemptions or Who Have Not Received But Are Eligible for the Booster
Students who are unvaccinated must follow the procedures below.
- Quarantine instructions: Instructions for quarantine will be provided to you by the CTT and an on-call staff member, so it is critical that you respond to phone calls as quickly as possible.
- Leaving campus: In addition to receiving detailed instructions, you will be asked to leave campus immediately and begin quarantining at home.
- If you develop symptoms: If you begin developing COVID-19 symptoms while in quarantine, contact Tufts Medical Center via telehealth. They may recommend that you obtain a test. If you are tested and are positive for COVID-19, you will be instructed to follow isolation procedures, and Berklee will begin the contact tracing process.
- Classes: During quarantine, you will be expected to participate in your classes remotely. If you do not feel well enough to participate in class, please follow your normal protocol for notifying faculty of an absence.
- Resuming on-campus activity: You will be able to resume campus activities after you receive a negative test result and are symptom-free. The exact length of your quarantine will depend on guidance from our partners at Tufts Medical Center at that time. After the quarantine period, continue to complete the testing protocols.
Faculty and Staff Who Are Vaccinated (and Boosted, if Eligible)
- If you are identified as a close contact and do not have any symptoms, you may continue to work on campus without interruption.
- If you are identified as a close contact and are symptomatic, please contact your primary care physician and test externally. Please do not return to campus, including the testing center. If you test positive, you will be required to isolate at home for 5 days and will need clearance from your physician to return to campus (see isolation protocols above). If negative, you can resume work on campus.
Faculty and Staff with Exemptions or Who Have Not Received But Are Eligible for the Booster
If you are identified as a close contact of someone who has tested positive, you must quarantine for five days. If you begin to have symptoms, please test immediately at an external testing site and refrain from returning to campus, including the testing center, until you receive your test results.
If you are able and remote work is available and approved by your supervisor, you may work remotely while awaiting your results.
Faculty and staff who are unvaccinated must follow the steps below for quarantine:
- Quarantine instructions: Instructions for quarantine will be provided to you by the CTT and an on-call staff member, so it is critical that you respond to phone calls as quickly as possible.
- Leaving campus: In addition to receiving detailed instructions, you will be asked to leave campus immediately and begin quarantining at home.
- Faculty teaching responsibilities while in quarantine: If a substitute teacher is needed for a faculty member who cannot conduct classes due to COVID-19 or another illness, the current policy for class coverage and substitutes will apply. It can be found in the Policies and Guides section under Faculty Resources on the Academic Affairs website (login required).
- Staff work responsibilities while in quarantine: If you are a staff member who must quarantine, Human Resources will be in contact with you and coordinate with your manager on all work-related adjustments and accommodations.
- Resuming on-campus activity: You will be able to return to campus after you receive a negative test result and are symptom-free. The exact length of your quarantine will depend on guidance from our partners at Tufts Medical Center at that time. Throughout the semester, continue to complete the testing protocols.
