COVID-19 Information

COVID VACCINATIONS & TESTING

Students, faculty, and staff are required to be up to date on their COVID-19 vaccinations, including booster doses when eligible, or have an approved exemption. Students, faculty, and staff who are eligible are required to have received a COVID-19 vaccine booster by Jan. 31. Those who were not eligible by Jan. 31 must receive a vaccine booster within 30 days of becoming eligible.

• Students should submit vaccination documentation to the Dartmouth College Health Service. Those who would like to request a vaccination exemption may do so through the Dartmouth College Health Service. Read the student COVID-19 vaccination FAQs for more details.
• Faculty and staff should submit vaccination documentation to Axiom Medical, Dartmouth’s Occupational Medicine provider. Those who would like to request a vaccination exemption may do so through the Office of Institutional Diversity and Equity. Read the employee COVID-19 vaccination FAQs for more details.

Until April 10, students, faculty, and staff are required to complete weekly PCR tests as part of Dartmouth’s community testing program. Beginning April 10 through the rest of spring term, weekly testing will be optional; students, faculty, and staff can choose to take up to two PCR tests per week. Students, faculty, and staff who test positive for COVID-19 must isolate immediately. Read Dartmouth’s isolation guidance for more information.

• Students who are fully vaccinated and have submitted their vaccination documentation will complete one PCR test each week but can test up to twice a week.
• Students who are not fully vaccinated or have not submitted their vaccination documentation will complete two PCR tests each week.
• Geisel M3/M4 graduate students who are not accessing Dartmouth spaces should follow the testing requirements for their clinical rotation site.
• Faculty and staff testing frequency will align with their vaccination status and how often they work onsite. However, they can test up to twice a week. Read the employee COVID-19 testing FAQs for more details.

Individuals are up to date after receiving all recommended COVID-19 vaccines, including booster doses once they are eligible. Individuals are fully vaccinated 14 days after their final dose in a primary COVID-19 vaccine series. Accepted COVID-19 vaccines are those that received full approval or emergency use authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or those that received or are undergoing assessment for emergency use listing (PDF) by the World Health Organization.

All students, faculty, and staff are expected to get a flu vaccine.

WHEN TO WEAR A FACE MASK

Regardless of vaccination status, you are required to wear a face mask:

• If you are sick or have symptoms of COVID-19;
• For at least 10 days after you first test positive for COVID-19, even if you tested out of isolation on Day 5 or Day 7;
• For at least 10 days after you were last in close contact with someone who has an active case of COVID-19 (in which the person with COVID-19 had symptoms or initially tested positive in the 10 days prior);
• When you are at a COVID-19 testing center, at the Dartmouth College Health Service, or for employees as designated in isolation spaces;
• Where required through a contract with an external organization (e.g., the Hopkins Center agreement with the Broadway League, and the Athletics department with the NCAA);
• When you are on public transportation, including the Dartmouth Coach and transportation provided by Advance Transit, according to guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

It remains a best practice to keep a face mask with you at all times as there will be situations outside of those mentioned above where masks continue to be required in the community.

There may be times when you or others around you choose to wear a mask even if it is not required; for example, if you or someone close to you is at high risk of severe disease. If you feel more comfortable wearing a mask around others, you are encouraged to do so. Please be respectful of those who choose to wear a face mask, and do not ask about one another’s health or family situation.

KN95 face masks are available at take-home test pick-up locations on and around campus. Dartmouth students who need a face mask can also contact their student affairs office and Dartmouth faculty and staff can contact their supervisor or department head.

VISITORS

Dartmouth recommends that all visitors 5 years of age or older:

• Are up to date on their COVID-19 vaccinations, including getting a booster dose within 30 days of becoming eligible; OR
• Receive a negative test result from a COVID-19 test (PCR or rapid antigen) taken within 72 hours prior, preferably as close to access as possible; OR
• Have tested positive for COVID-19 within the 90 days prior and recovered (i.e., they have ended isolation and do not have symptoms).

Individuals are up to date on their COVID-19 vaccinations after receiving all recommended COVID-19 vaccine doses, including booster doses once they are eligible.

Visitors can find more information on accessing COVID-19 tests through the New Hampshire and Vermont public health departments or visitors can use a self-test kit.

Visitors must not access a Dartmouth location or Dartmouth-sponsored in-person event if:

• They are in isolation or quarantine;
• They are experiencing symptoms consistent with COVID-19 including the following:
  • A fever of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, or felt feverish in the last 72 hours;
  • New respiratory symptoms including a runny nose, nasal congestion, sore throat, cough, or shortness of breath;
  • General body symptoms such as new muscle aches, chills, or severe fatigue;
  • New gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea;
  • Any new change in their sense of taste or smell.

Visitors who develop symptoms or test positive for COVID-19 while at a Dartmouth location or event, or within 48 hours of being at Dartmouth, should isolate immediately and follow the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) isolation guidance. The visitor should also inform their close contacts. For COVID-19, a close contact is anyone who was less than 6 feet away from you for a combined total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period.

If identified as a close contact, visitors should wear a face mask, limit close contacts with others, contact their primary care provider, and follow the CDC’s quarantine guidance.