Q: What does quarantine mean?
A: If you are returning from travel to a designated state, and if such travel was for longer than the limited duration outlined within the executive order, you are required to quarantine when you enter New York for 14 days from the last day you were in a designated state(s), unless you are an essential worker or fall under another exception as determined by the Commissioner. The requirements to safely quarantine include:
- The individual must not be in public or otherwise leave the quarters that they have identified as suitable.
- The individual must be situated in separate quarters with a separate bathroom facility for each individual or family group. Access to a sink with soap, water, and paper towels is necessary. Cleaning supplies (e.g. household cleaning wipes, bleach) must be provided in any shared bathroom.
- The individual must have a way to self-quarantine from household members as soon as fever or other symptoms develop, in a separate room(s) with a separate door. Given that an exposed person might become ill while sleeping, the exposed person must sleep in a separate bedroom from household members.
- Food must be delivered to the person’s quarters.
- Quarters must have a supply of face masks for individuals to put on if they become symptomatic.
- Garbage must be bagged and left outside for routine pick up. Special handling is not required.
- A system for temperature and symptom monitoring must be implemented to provide assessment in-place for the quarantined persons in their separate quarters.
- Nearby medical facilities must be notified, if the individual begins to experience more than mild symptoms and may require medical assistance.
- The quarters must be secure against unauthorized access.
Q: I am planning to travel to a state that now requires that I quarantine for 14 days upon my return. What do I do?
A: If you make the voluntary decision to travel to a state that requires you to self-quarantine for 14 days, you should expect that the 14-day quarantine period without charge to leave credits does NOT apply in this situation. You would be required to work remotely if feasible or charge your leave credits, other than your sick leave, for the 14-day quarantine period.
Q: If I arrive in New York from a state that has been added to the designated state list before the date it was added, but before 14 days have elapsed, do I have to quarantine?
A: The travel advisory is not retroactive. However, travelers from those states are advised to self-monitor and get tested if they start to develop any symptoms, within the 14 day timeframe.
Q: If an employee I supervise is quarantined or isolated, what do I do and what information can I share?
A: An employee may choose to self-disclose medical information to anyone they wish, but that does not mean that supervisors/managers, Human Resources, University leadership or colleagues can then release that information to others, or discuss it with anyone.
Guidance for supervisors:
- If an employee will be absent from or unable to work, you may share an estimated time that they will return to work if one is known.
- If employees ask about a colleague, remind them that we have a policy of assisting any employee who encounters difficulty in the workplace and that we respect employees’ privacy.
- If an employee provides medical documentation to you, forward it to Human Resources. Medical documentation may be sent directly to Human Resources, who will then advise you, the supervisor, of the expected duration that the employee is expected to be out, without divulging any specific medical information.
If you have specific questions, contact Human Resources at hr@oswego.edu.
Be aware that any medical information is considered confidential by both union contracts and federal law, which has strict rules regarding what information can be released about an employee. While an employee may voluntarily share information about themselves, it is not information that a manager/supervisor can ask about or share. Contact HR at hr@oswego.edu with any questions.