Return to Campus

The San Mateo County Community College District Board of Trustees has suspended the COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement policy (BP 2.90)     and no longer requires COVID-19 vaccination documentation or medical/religious exemptions for any individuals wishing to access district facilities.  Employees may access district facilities regardless of vaccination status. 

SMCCCD recommends staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccines, including boosters, regardless of risk factors. CDC recommends that people ages 5 years and older receive one updated (bivalent) booster if it has been at least 2 months since their last COVID-19 vaccine dose, whether that was:

• Their final primary series dose, or
• An original (monovalent) booster

People who have gotten more than one original (monovalent) booster are also recommended to get an updated (bivalent) booster. To schedule an appointment, visit https://myturn.ca.gov/ .

For additional information, visit https://smccd.edu/return-to-campus/vaccine-info.

If you are experiencing symptoms, tested positive, or had an exposure, please following these guidelines:

If you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms:

• Stay home and do not come to campus
• Follow the COVID-19 Symptomatic Guidance    

If you test positive for COVID-19:

• Report at the following URL: https://smccd.edu/return-to-campus/covid-positive-result.php 

If you think you may have been exposed to someone who tested positive:

• Follow the Self-Assessment Guidance     for exposure 

 

A reminder to help keep our college community healthy and safe:

• Monitor daily for signs of illness.  Stay home if sick and report to appropriate instructor or college staff
• Wear a face covering when required. The face covering should have at least 2 layers, completely cover your nose and mouth, and fit snugly against the sides of your face
• Sanitize hands and works spaces frequently to reduce the spread of germs

The SMCCCD Facilities team have assessed buildings throughout the district and have implemented the following Cal OSHA standards when identified:

• enhanced airflow and ventilation to all spaces on campus
• enhanced filtration
• make available hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes
• installed plexiglass barriers at high volume student transactional spaces

To request a safety assessment of your workspace,

1. Communicate your need for a workspace safety assessment request with your immediate supervisor and secure your supervisor’s approval.
2. Submit a Facilities work order via the Facilities Helpcenter located on the SMCCD portal page: https://smccd.edu/portal/ 
3. In the “Request description” box please note: COVID-19 Work-Space Safety Assessment

Facilities will respond to the work order and schedule a meeting with the requestor.  As part of the site visit, Facilities will

1. Ensure that sanitization materials are provided and easily accessible
2. Review ventilation and filtration performance and adjust to increase outside air where feasible
3. Provide signage that complies with current OSHA, CDC, and San Mateo County Health Department requirements
4. Install temporary plexiglass in areas deemed as high volume public interactive spaces

 

Full Standard Operating Procedure: COVID-19 Workplace Safety Assessment   

The District’s face masking requirement utilizes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID Community Level coding system. The masking requirements, as outlined below, are effective until further notice, and apply to all students, employees, and visitors, regardless of vaccination status:

• CDC COVID Community Level is LOW - A face mask is recommended, but not required.
• CDC COVID Community Level is MEDIUM - A face mask is required while indoors in any District facility.
• CDC COVID Community Level is HIGH - A face mask is required while indoors in any District facility.

As the San Mateo County Community Level changes, updated information will be provided to students, employees, and visitors. SMCCCD continues to make face coverings (masks) available to all students. Masks are located at various locations throughout all buildings. To track the San Mateo County’s COVID Community Level, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.

**Face covering means a surgical mask, a medical procedure mask, a respirator worn voluntarily, or a tightly woven fabric or non-woven material of at least two layers. A face covering has no visible holes or openings and must cover the nose and mouth. A face covering does not include a scarf, ski mask, balaclava, bandana, turtleneck, collar, or single layer of fabric.

• Surgical masks and N95 respirators are available at the entrances of every occupied building throughout the District    

The following Sanitization and Hygiene strategies are identified to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The CDC has determined that COVID-19 is predominantly transmitted via aerosolized droplets from person to person.  However, effective cleaning and disinfecting may contribute to the slowing of COVID-19 virus transmission.

Facilities Custodians clean and disinfect at least once daily:

• high use community spaces: in use classrooms, break rooms, work rooms, conference rooms, etc.
• high touch points: handrails, door handles, elevator buttons, etc.
• restrooms

All campus community members are expected to participate in:

• effective hand hygiene by washing and sanitizing hands frequently
• sanitizing the furniture, fixtures, and equipment they touch and use

Office Occupants will clean and disinfect as needed their:

• Work surface, chair arms, and equipment (phones, keyboards, etc.)
• Personal possessions

The Facilities department provides hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes for use by campus occupants. 

 

Full Standard Operating Procedure: Sanitization and Hygiene   

Multiple COVID-19 infections are defined as three or more employee COVID-19 cases visited the workplace during their high-risk exposure period at any time during a 14-day period.

The following will take effect:

• Recommend COVID-19 Testing
• Alert employees in the exposed group of their right to request a respirator for voluntary use, if they are not fully vaccinated
• Evaluate whether to implement physical distancing of at least six feet between persons or, where six feet of physical distancing is not feasible, the use of cleanable solid partitions of sufficient size to reduce COVID-19 transmission
• Perform a review of potentially relevant COVID-19 policies, procedures, and controls and implement changes as needed to prevent further spread of COVID-19
• Filter recirculated air with Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) 13 or higher efficiency filters if compatible with the ventilation system. If MERV-13 or higher filters are not compatible with the ventilation system, the SMCCCD shall use filters with the highest compatible filtering efficiency. SMCCCDs shall also evaluate whether portable or mounted High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filtration units or other air cleaning/ventilation systems would reduce the risk of transmission and, if so, shall implement their use to the degree feasible

Major COVID-19 Outbreak is applicable if 20 or more employee COVID-19 cases in an exposed group visited the workplace during their high-risk exposure period within a 30-day period, and shall apply until there are fewer than three COVID-19 cases detected in the exposed group for a 14-day period.

The following will take effect:

• Provide a respirator for voluntary use to employees in the exposed group and shall determine the need for a respiratory protection program or changes to an existing respiratory protection program.
• Consider and employ appropriate physical distancing strategies
• install cleanable solid partitions that effectively reduce transmission between the employee and other persons when physical distancing requirements cannot be maintained
• Evaluate whether to halt some or all operations at the workplace until COVID-19 hazards have been corrected

 

Full Standard Operating Procedure: Multiple COVID-19 Infections and COVID-19 Outbreaks   

Full Standard Operating Procedure: Major COVID-19 Outbreaks