An Update on the Gradual Return to Campus

05/14/21

Dear Colleagues,

Yesterday, the CDC updated masking guidelines, and as you may have heard, the City of Philadelphia recently announced changes to the Safer-at-Home Restrictions, effective in the coming weeks. We have not yet seen published updates for colleges and universities by the Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH), which, in partnership with the University, will inform our PSOM guidelines. Therefore, until such time, we continue to follow guidelines outlined here, with strong emphasis on masking, which is required in all of our facilities, regardless of vaccination status.

In addition, throughout the City and our campus, we are seeing an increased vaccinated population and a decline in COVID-19 cases, and we anticipate a July 6 date to begin further repopulation of our campus. Our Mission Continuity/COVID Response team is refining our transition guidelines as I send this message. We will share those guiding principles once they are finalized in June, which will likely include opening additional entry points to our facilities and easing distancing restrictions.

In many respects, PSOM has been preparing for the increase in on-campus activities for some time now, having implemented safety measures throughout our spaces; established our robust testing through COVID SAFE; and provided guiding (and evolving) principles in allowing individual programs and departments flexibility to create work plans. We know how to operate safely, and as more of our campus opens up and more on-campus activities resume, we will always be guided by the safety and well-being of our community.

As we receive more information from the University and as we review updates from PDPH, we will also keep in close contact about any updates for our PSOM community.

Thank you,

Jon

Jon Epstein, MD | EVD/CSO

https://www.med.upenn.edu/evdresearch/