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.
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. Isolation after a confirmed infection can last for 10 days or more.
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. Quarantine after possible exposure to COVID-19 typically lasts for eight to 10 days from the last day of suspected exposure. If you are fully vaccinated, per the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) guidelines, you do not need to quarantine if you are identified as a close contact of someone who tests positive.
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, you will be required to isolate.
- Residential students who test positive will be isolated on campus for 10 days. During this time, all relevant resources and services (e.g., food delivery, daily check-ins, etc.) will be made available.
- Commuter students who test positive will be required to isolate at home for 10 days.
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.
- 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. If you have waived your Berklee health insurance and have your own health insurance, please work with your primary care provider.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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).
- Vaccinated students will be notified of potential exposure by the CTT, but they will not be required to quarantine. Instead, they’ll be asked to closely monitor their symptoms for 14 days and participate in additional testing at the Berklee Testing Center (one test on day one, and one on day four or five after exposure).
- Unvaccinated students who have an approved religious or medical exemption will be required to quarantine off campus if they are identified as having potential exposure to COVID-19. In these instances, students’ emergency contacts will be notified. Unvaccinated students will follow the guidelines below.
Residential Students
Students who are vaccinated do not need to quarantine. 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 provide you with telehealth resources through Tufts Medical Center.
- 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 quarantine for eight to 10 days, and 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
Students who are vaccinated do not need to quarantine. 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 quarantine for eight to 10 days, and 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
Faculty and staff who are vaccinated do not need to quarantine. Faculty and staff who are unvaccinated must follow the steps 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.
- 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 quarantine for eight to 10 days, and 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.
