Coronavirus updates

CMU-Africa COVID-19 protocols

Updated May 18, 2022

Access to CMU-Africa

• CMU-Africa will be open 24 hours a day, from Monday through Sunday to fully vaccinated individuals only.
• Transport for students to and from campus will continue to be provided. Buses will operate at full capacity. The last shuttle service will leave campus at 12:00 midnight
• Staff and faculty are working on campus on a full-time basis. Students are required to attend in-person classes.
• Visitors are permitted and must present proof of vaccination to security at the gate
• Everyone is required to log in and log out with the security guards at the point of entry and exit of the campus.
• Daily temperature checks are no longer required.

On-site safety

• Handwashing and sanitizing are required by everyone at all entry points into the building. You are required to wash your hands periodically throughout the day, especially after coming into contact with high-touch surfaces such as printers and copiers. On stairs and in stairwells, be mindful of your contact with handrails and wash your hands with soap immediately afterward. If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol.
• Facial coverings both indoors and outdoors are optional for members of our community who are up-to-date with respect to COVID-19 vaccinations (meaning, fully vaccinated and boosted when eligible). Please note that individuals will be still be required to wear facial coverings under the following circumstances:
  • Anyone who has tested positive (wear for at least three days following the seven days of isolation).
  • Anyone who has been in close contact of a positive case, and is within 10 days of exposure.
• Catering services will be available for purchase. Breakfast is available from 7:30 am CAT. A lunch buffet will be served from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm CAT. Snacks will be available for purchase throughout the day.
• IT support is available, but in-person support may be limited. Please continue to log any issues through the IT Helpdesk.
• In-person meetings and events are permitted, at full venue capacity. All event participants must be fully vaccinated.

COVID-19 response protocol:

• Positive COVID-19 diagnosis: Faculty, staff, TAs, and students who have received a positive COVID-19 diagnosis must immediately inform the pandemic safety officers and must isolate at home for 7 days. Information regarding your circumstances will only be shared as necessary for the university to safeguard the community and to comply with any applicable laws or government regulations. To return to campus after 7 days of isolation, you must be negative on a PCR test. Email proof of your negative PCR test result to africapso@andrew.cmu.edu.
• Anyone who is feeling ill/displaying COVID-19 symptoms: Anyone who is unwell is required to stay home. Students must notify both Student Services and the pandemic safety officers. Employees must notify both their direct supervisor and the pandemic safety officers. You are advised to call the Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC) toll-free number 114 to receive appropriate guidance. In addition, you will be required to show proof of a negative rapid or PCR test before returning to campus.
• Should you feel sick while on campus: Please make your way to the isolation room (B203) and immediately notify the pandemic safety officers. The pandemic safety officers will advise you on the next steps, including arranging for you to return home. See the section entitled “Anyone who is feeling ill/displaying COVID-19 symptoms” for additional steps you must take.

• Close contact with individuals with COVID-19 positive results: For individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19, the pandemic safety officers will help manage contact tracing. This will involve the pandemic safety officers working with the COVID-19 positive individual to identify people in the CMU-Africa community who they have been in close contact as defined by the RBC: being within 2 metres for more than 30 minutes, especially in a closed space; being in close proximity (less than 2 metres) without a mask on; and physical contact such as hugging, hand-holding. (For people outside the CMU-Africa community, the positive individual should work directly with the RBC on contact tracing). If you are determined to have been in close contact with someone on campus you will be contacted by the pandemic safety officers. If you have been designated as to have been in close contact, you must take a rapid test or PCR test. If the test is negative, you may continue your normal working/studying. If the test is positive, you must isolate and follow the steps outlined in the section entitled “Positive COVID-19 diagnosis”. Employees and students who have not been designated as in close contact should continue to work/study as usual and be mindful of the measures.
• If you are living with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 in the same home: Students must notify both Student Services and the pandemic safety officers. Employees must notify both their direct supervisor and the pandemic safety officers. The person must isolate at home for 3 days and take a rapid or PCR test on day 3. If the test is negative, continue business as usual outside the home. If the test is positive, you must continue to isolate and follow the steps outlined in the section entitled “Positive COVID-19 diagnosis”. Note: the initially positive individual in the home must stay isolated from anyone else at home until tested negative on day 7.
• International and domestic travel for all CMU community members is permitted subject to the usual Business and Travel Expense policy requirements and approval from employee managers.