Penn COVID-19 Response

Actions to Keep the Penn Community Healthy

Penn tracks data and follows the latest science to make decisions in the best interest of public health. The University, together with Penn Medicine, draws on the world-class expertise of its faculty, staff, researchers, and clinicians to develop policies and deploy strategies unique to Penn.

Actions by individuals remain our primary tools to minimize virus transmission:

• getting vaccinated
• wearing a mask when required (see the lastest guidance)
• hand washing
• staying home when feeling sick, and
• completing daily PennOpen Pass symptom checker and exposure reporting.

The Penn community should remember that our decisions impact the lives and health of student pods, classmates, colleagues, and our West Philadelphia neighbors. Students are subject to the Compact Review Panel. Penn will not provide COVID-19 testing documentation. See the latest travel guidance for students and faculty, postdocs, and staff.

As part of Penn's comprehensive public-health program, hundreds of institutional actions complement these essential individual behaviors. Among them are:

• vaccination clinics
• extra cleaning and ventilation checks in campus buildings – the Office of Environmental Health and Radiation Safety is responsible for a range of campus safety programs including those for COVID-19,
• screening and testing programs,
• contact tracing, isolation, and quarantine, and
• a student Campus Compact and Principles of Responsible Conduct for faculty and staff that remind us that we're all in this together.

Screening tests are a public health tool used to reduce the spread of the virus. Saliva-based screening identifies infection quickly and allows contact tracing and isolation to be initiated before the virus spreads further. Regular saliva screening, as required by the University, is as sensitive as nasal PCR tests.

As the understanding of risks evolves, many members of the University community may choose to continue wearing masks in various campus settings, whether they have completed their vaccination or not. Your respect, empathy, and understanding are greatly appreciated during this transitional time when individuals may opt to use additional personal precautions.

Guided by our commitment to education and research and to the health and safety of our community, Penn supports innovative remote learning and work while inviting students back to campus to live and learn. Being vigilant about public health at Penn helps preserve the health of our neighbors as well. We all pull together because Penn Cares.