PDF of Full Policy
In support of OUKS Campus Community expectations updated January 6, 2022, we continue to expect all student-athletes, coaches, and athletic staff to be fully vaccinated as soon as individuals can do so.
All OUKS Student-Athletes and coaches are required to update their vaccination status through our ATS health tracking. All student-athletes and staff must report and/or confirm their vaccination status by January 10, 2022, to assist with administrative management of covid-related concerns as they arise. Any delays in the completion of this, will also delay clearance for athletic participation.
Fully vaccinated is defined below and follows the most current CDC Guidelines.
VACCINATIONS
Student-Athletes/staff will be considered Fully Vaccinated IF they meet one of the following criteria as outlined by CDC guidelines:
• Pfizer/Moderna Primary Series (2nd shot of the series) was completed within six months from the current date
• J&J Primary Vaccine received within two months of current date
• Have received the Covid Booster shot following a two-dose vaccination, or the single J&J dose. NOTE: A student-athlete who has had a documented COVID-19 infection in the past 90 days is considered the equivalent of "fully vaccinated."
MASKING
Consistent with the campus masking policy, ALL Ottawa University student-athletes are required to mask when indoors and when not actively engaging in activity. All students will be required to mask when in the locker rooms, Braves Athletic Performance Center, while traveling in buses and vans, in the athletic training room, attending team meetings/film sessions, team study halls, on benches and when walking through all indoor athletic facilities including the Hull Center for Athletics. At times when student-athletes are not actively engaged in activity and are sitting out of active participation, student-athletes are expected to be masked.
COVID-19 SURVEILLANCE TESTING
All student-athletes will be subject to random, routine Covid-19 surveillance testing. This may include entire teams or partial team rosters as selected. This testing is done at no cost to the student-athletes.
ATHLETES WITH COVID-19 SYMPTOMS
Student athletes who are experiencing symptoms that could be related to COVID-19 (i.e. sore throat, cough, difficulty breathing, congestion, new loss of taste or smell, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, chills or fever, fatigue with muscle or body aches and/or headache), should self-isolate and call the health office at 785-248-2330 to seek health guidance and next steps. They should also notify their head coach of their sport immediately.
QUARANTINES AND WEEKLY TEAM STATUS DETERMINATION
As positive Covid-19 cases are confirmed through symptomatic testing and surveillance testing, student-athletes and teams will be subject to individual quarantines based on contact tracing, restricted team activity, team quarantines and possible team shutdowns upon assessment of Covid-19 activity and risk within the team. In the unfortunate event that team shutdowns and quarantines impact the roster or a specific position group, reschedules and/or forfeits of games may be the result.
DEFINITION OF "CLOSE CONTACT" OR "DIRECTLY EXPOSED"
Someone who was unmasked within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period starting from 2 days before illness onset. Or, if asymptomatic, 2 days prior to positive test date. Examples include the following: while sitting on the bench, team huddles, locker room, benches, on sidelines, team meetings, film sessions, on busses and vans while traveling. These are all places student-athlete and coaches should be masked.
COVID POSITIVE TEST/ISOLATION
Days 0-5 Isolate following instruction from the OU Student Life office. If asymptomatic or symptoms have resolved after Day 5, the student health will notify you that your isolation period is over.
Days 6-10 Stay masked, however student may return to in-person classes. Attending and observing practices and attending team meetings is allowed. Strict masking is required!
Day 7-8 Complete the symptom checklist and health screening with the campus student-health office who will determine if cardiac clearance by a physician is necessary.
Day 9-10 Student-athlete must mask on campus and while attending classes.
Day 11 If cleared medically, the student-athlete may return to athletic activity.
CLOSE CONTACTS, DIRECTLY EXPLOSED AND QUARANTINE GUIDELINES
IF UNVACCINATED
Days 0-5 Isolate following instructions for OU Student Life Office. If symptoms develop, contact the campus student health office and head coach. Report on the ATS daily screening app and await testing instructions and health advisement.
Day 6 If no symptoms have developed, contact the student health office to line up testing.
Day 6-10 If result is negative, student-athlete can mask and return to class, observe practice, and attend team meetings. Strict masking is required.
IF FULLY VACCINATED OR, CONFIRMED INFECTED WITHIN THE LAST 90 DAYS
Student-athletes in this category, who have been directly exposed, are permitted to continue with athletic participation and activity but should closely monitor for any symptoms with heightened awareness and report concerns immediately. Student-athletes should wear a mask around others socially and while on campus and whenever not actively training/competing consistent with our indoor masking policy.
SPECTATORS
We will continue to allow both home and visiting spectators to attend our indoor and outdoor sporting events on campus. We do strongly encourage fans to be fully vaccinated prior to attending an on-campus event. Please stay home and do not attend if you are not feeling well or have possibly been exposed recently to a covid positive individual. Fans are required to mask while attending indoor events on campus.
Please note that we will continue to monitor and re-evaluate our Covid-19 mitigation procedures throughout the spring and communicate changes as they occur for the safety of all. We will continue to work closely with our health partners including AdventHealth, Ottawa Family Physicians and the Franklin County Health Department, and make changes to our policies as required or deemed necessary.
