The goal of this plan is to minimize the risk that the resumption of on-campus lab activity will contribute to the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 within the University and in the broader community. To do this, we must limit physical contact and proximity among people. The University will achieve this in three ways:
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Limiting total person density within the University (where we expect that the target density will be established by both Harvard and the state and local governments based on local conditions),
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Establishing space usage guidelines that optimize the distance between people, and
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Constraining transmission by having individuals work in shifts.
The specifics of this plan are informed by the current Massachusetts Department of Public Health definition of the type of contact that creates high risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission and would trigger a quarantine recommendation, recognizing that testing of asymptomatic contacts is not yet available. According to current state guidelines, a high-risk contact is someone who has been in contact with a COVID-19 case for greater than 15 minutes at a distance of 6 feet or less. After this type of contact, an individual would be asked to self-quarantine for 14 days.
We recognize the current uncertainty inherent in this definition and seek to achieve a higher standard of workplace safety than simply the elimination of high-risk contact according to this definition. To do so, we will initially employ the following additional five layers of protection:
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Required self-evaluation for COVID-19 symptoms and attestation as symptom-free for entry,
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Mandatory use of University-issued or -approved protective face coverings–currently defined as surgical masks–while on campus and in buildings,
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Enhanced density and distance requirements,
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Limited physical contacts through shift work,
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Enhanced facilities maintenance and custodial support.
These supplemental layers of protection are designed to maximize safety and to establish a workplace environment in which the state-mandated quarantine standards will be implemented if any COVID-19 cases emerge in our workforce, while still allowing most individuals working in the same area to continue their work. The details of the cleaning protocols and occupational health responses to a case of COVID-19 on campus are described below. A component of the overall strategy is a University-wide Occupational Health Plan that is currently under development.
We plan to assess the efficacy of the described policy by occupational health monitoring for case clusters among individuals who share proximate spaces but do not meet the definition of a close contact. Emergence of a cluster of infections may trigger a broader requirement for quarantine than that mandated by the state and initiate re-evaluation of the lab distancing plan.
As we gain experience or as the SARS-CoV-2 testing landscape evolves, we may find that some of these restrictions can be relaxed or otherwise modified.
Self-evaluation for COVID-19 symptoms
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Individuals will follow the symptom screening protocol defined by EH&S and Occupational Health Services.
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Any individual who uses their ID card to enter a building is making an attestation that they are free of COVID-19 symptoms. Schools are encouraged to adopt an affirmative daily declaration that is submitted electronically.
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Any individual who has had a COVID-19 diagnosis will follow occupational health guidelines for return to work.
Viral and serological testing
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Viral and serological tests for SARS-CoV-2 are increasingly available but not yet at a scale that would support near-universal, frequent screening for asymptomatic infection. The University’s approaches to screening will be modified as testing technologies evolve.
Protective face coverings
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University-approved face masks, initially provided by the institution, will be worn at all times while in campus buildings except when eating or drinking. Face coverings will also be worn outdoors on campus.
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Mask usage (i.e., donning, doffing and storage) will follow the EH&S protocols described in a required training module.
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Any exceptions to the described mask usage policy require approval at the School level.
Density and distance guidelines
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Density targets will conform to state and University guidelines.
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School-specific implementation protocols will be provided separately.
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Work that can successfully be done remotely should continue to be done remotely. For example, typical lab group and 1-1 meetings will continue to be held remotely.
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Workstations will be distanced from one another. CDC recommendations are that individuals maintain a minimal distance of 6 feet from one another, but labs should try to achieve a distance of 9 feet or greater between workstations where feasible. Whenever possible, researchers should be assigned a particular workstation. For shared workstations, only one researcher should work at a given workstation at a time, with disinfection of equipment and surfaces between users.
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Experimental situations that require individuals to work in proximity to one another (<6 feet) will be rare. Such exceptions to the standard distancing guidelines should be clearly outlined in the proposed lab plan and require approval through the School’s processes.
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The position of equipment and a given lab’s workflow will dictate the final plan. If significant deviations from the recommended distance requirements are proposed, they should be called out for discussion during review.
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Desk seating for individuals should be separated by at least 6 feet, and ideally 9 feet or greater.
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In general, time in lab should be dedicated to experimental and/or computational work that cannot be done remotely. Other activities like analyzing data, reading, writing and meeting with lab members should continue to be done remotely.
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Use of shared offices is discouraged and efforts should be made to maximize a floor’s office space capacity (e.g., administrative offices and faculty not in use) to provide well distanced, pre-defined places to sit during experimental downtimes.
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Lab plans should identify places for individuals to eat and drink separately from others.
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If sharing space is unavoidable, seats should be separated by a minimal distance of 6 feet and ideally 9 feet or greater.
Constraint of social contacts through shift work
For almost all labs, shift work will be an important component of low-density phased re-entry planning, independent of distancing. Fixed shift teams limit the size of any given person’s potential interactions over time and serves as a buffering function that distance alone does not accomplish. Fixing shift teams – at least in the earliest phase of reopening – functionally limits the number of people in the lab who would potentially be at risk for infection as well as the number who may need to be quarantined should a lab cluster emerge. If a shift team is not fixed, then there is higher likelihood that everyone in a lab would interact at some point over a given infectious period, and if a lab cluster emerges, the whole lab would be at risk for infection and may need to be quarantined. Where multiple labs share space, it is important to get a consensus across all users on the appropriate model.
Shift schedules should be developed that are consistent with the following guiding principles:
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All researchers and workers should be informed of safety measures that are being taken, due consideration given to concerns that are raised, and, where appropriate, reasonable accommodations made. Any issues related to an individual’s return to work should be discussed on a case-by-case basis with the PI, in consultation with department administrators and Occupational Health Services.
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Everyone who is coming into labs should be familiar with the plans, safety procedures, and guidelines and should know who to contact if there are concerns.
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The ability to participate in lab research should be granted in accordance with all applicable University policies and regulations, including non-discrimination.
Below, three different shift models are described; other models may be developed as well. The most appropriate model will depend on a lab’s work and space layout (e.g., need to access animals, experimental duration) and staff preference. It is important to note at the outset that inevitably people will have experiments that extend past the boundaries of their shifts. However, shift teams should be considered fixed until we better understand workplace transmission risk. Thus, for some labs, this will necessarily change how projects are structured. Implementing shift work may necessitate more team science and if prolonged, could durably alter how we conduct research. The mechanism by which shifts are assigned are not defined, but considerations should include lab members’ transportation options, and childcare responsibilities, and the ability of operations in a given site to support the designated shift hours. At the current time, campus buildings will be open for low-density shift work by researchers seven days a week with hours designated at the School level.
Shift model A – divide the day
The day is divided into two shifts. Every lab member is assigned to an AM or PM shift. Individuals can only come in during their shift. Two 4-hour shifts may not be realistic for many labs. Time windows that allow closer to 8 hours per shift (e.g., 6:00 AM – 1:00 PM–lab does wipe down on exit; 2:00 PM – 10:00 PM–lab does wipe down on exit) may be possible but should address the operation’s ability to support extended hours and accommodate any lab member. Plans should include a time buffer to ensure shift changes occur without cross-contact.
Shift model B - divide the week
The week is divided into two shifts. The easiest division to imagine is MonWedFri/ TueThuSatSun but other divisions are possible (Sun - Wed and Thu-Sat). This allows longer workdays for experiments that are not easily accomplished in 4- to 6-hour blocks. There is less daily concern about (and friction over) overlap. However, some people would always be working on the weekends.
Shift model C - somewhat longer blocks
A 15-day period could be divided into three blocks. Lab personnel (or physically proximate groups) are divided into three pods. Pod A works on campus the first 5 days and then works remotely for the next 10 days. Pod B works remotely the first 5 days, on campus the next 5 days, and then remotely the last 5 days. Pod C works remotely the first 10 days and then on campus for the last 5 days. That ends a 15-day period. This strategy is designed to even more strictly isolate work units.
Enhanced facilities maintenance
Schools will optimize operational protocols to minimize SARS-CoV-2 transmission risk, including:
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An entry/exit and common space management plan
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Protocols and training for outside vendors, contractors and visitors
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Protocols and training for daily cleaning of lab and office spaces by researchers
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Enhanced cleaning protocols for common spaces including bathrooms
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Specific bathroom, elevator and kitchen protocols to minimize shared occupancy and increase opportunities for surface decontamination
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Optimization of HVAC performance to maximize air exchange and enhancement of filtration where feasible
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Additional modifications to physical environment to minimize surface contact.