New active screening requirements for those coming to campus effective December 7

Hamilton remains in the red zone under the province’s COVID-19 framework, but the city’s Medical Officer of Health has imposed new increased restrictions which impact McMaster students, faculty and staff.

These new local regulations — which largely effect retail operations, malls and workplaces — are being introduced to help curb the spread of the virus in the community.

The most significant impact for those coming to McMaster will be a new active screening that is required every time someone comes to campus to work, attend classes or use any campus facility effective December 7^th.

The specifics of how various groups at the university are impacted by these new regulations are included below. As these new protocols are introduced, it’s important that faculty ensure their students are aware, supervisors inform their employees, and researchers let everyone in their lab know about the changes.

The university has worked closely with public health to ensure our protocols are in line with these new requirements.

Please note that the new requirements are on top of the university’s existing protocols for anyone required to come to campus:

1. Do the online training: The mandatory COVID-19 Awareness training is available in Mosaic. Training must be completed once in advance of coming to campus.
2. Wear a mask: Masks are mandatory for all indoor spaces on campus.
3. Follow signs and keep physically distanced: Clear, easy to read signage throughout campus signals appropriate physical distancing and room capacities.
4. Use the COVID-19 reporting tool: If you or anyone on your team has tested positive for COVID, has symptoms or has come into contact with a confirmed case of COVID, use the tool in Mosaic to help McMaster take appropriate safety actions.

McMaster continues to ask anyone who can work from home to do so. While there continues to be provision for extraordinary circumstances for working on campus that must first be approved by supervisors, please limit wherever possible the number of approved employees accessing McMaster facilities.

As of Monday, December 7^th at 12:01 a.m.

Anyone working, studying at or visiting a McMaster campus or facility is required to meet these new rules. The screening only needs to be completed once each day before attending McMaster. Anyone receiving a screening notice should save the documentation. Anyone working in a health facility or other third-party organization must also follow all protocols required by that organization.

McMaster employees approved to be working at a McMaster workplace:

• Complete the province’s COVID-19 screening app within one hour of attending campus or a McMaster facility. This must be done before entering the workplace. The screening tool is also available on the McMaster Safety App.
• After completing the screening, email your immediate supervisor informing them if you have passed or not passed the screening for the day. If you have passed, you are then able to enter the workplace.
• If you do not pass the screening test you are not permitted to enter campus and should self isolate and seek assessment and testing

McMaster research personnel including students working in a research capacity: 

• Complete the province’s COVID-19 screening app within one hour of attending campus or a McMaster facility. This must be done before entering the workplace. The screening tool is also available on the McMaster Safety App..
• After completing the screening, email your immediate supervisor (Principal Investigator or Associate Dean Research in your Faculty) informing them if you have passed or not passed the screening for the day. If you have passed, you are then able to enter the workplace.
• If you do not pass the screening test you are not permitted to enter campus and should self isolate and seek assessment and testing

McMaster students:

• Complete the province’s COVID-19 screening app within one hour of attending campus or a McMaster facility. This must be done before going to classes, the library or any other building on campus. The screening tool is also available on the McMaster Safety App.
• After completing the screening, email your class instructor informing them if you have passed or not passed the screening for the day. If you have passed, you are then able to enter campus. Your instructor may also set up a folder on the course’s Avenue to Learn site for this purpose and will communicate this to students in the class.  If you currently have a protocol in place with your instructor to share the results of the screening app, this protocol will continue.
• If you do not pass the screening test you are not permitted to enter campus and should self isolate and seek assessment and testing
• If you are attending campus for any reason other than to attend a class (e.g. accessing approved library study space) complete the screening and submit through the library booking app or to the person who has authorized you to be on campus.

McMaster graduate students:

• Complete the province’s COVID-19 screening app within one hour of attending campus or a McMaster facility. This must be done before entering campus. The screening tool is also available on the McMaster Safety App.
• After completing the screening, email your academic supervisor informing them if you have passed or not passed the screening for the day. If you have passed, you are then able to enter campus
• If you do not pass the screening test you are not permitted to enter campus and should self isolate and seek assessment and testing

McMaster faculty:

• Complete the province’s COVID-19 screening app within one hour of attending campus or a McMaster facility. This must be done before entering the workplace. The screening tool is also available on the McMaster Safety App..
• After completing the screening, email your Department chair or director informing them if you have passed or not passed the screening for the day. If you have passed, you are then able to enter campus.
• If you do not pass the screening test you are not permitted to enter campus and should self isolate and seek assessment and testing

Non-McMaster employees working or providing services at a McMaster location

• All employers must require employees to complete and report COVID-19 screening before entering the workplace
• Those who work for external entities that are housed at McMaster, are part of construction project, or are providing other types of services, must meet the screening requirements as detailed by their employer

Updated information is available on McMaster’s COVID-19 website. McMaster’s Supervisor’s Guide Supervisor’s Guide has also been updated. Additional information may also be provided by individual departments and will be sent directly to people in those areas.