Contact Tracing

Contact tracing identifies and supports people (contacts) who may have been infected through exposure to a COVID-19 positive patient. This process prevents further transmission of disease by separating those who have (or may have) an infectious disease from those who don’t.

If a member of the Bradley community tests positive for COVID-19, their close contacts will be notified and given information on next steps. The university won’t share the infected person’s name or identity, as per HIPAA guidelines.

Students who test positive

Health Services will initiate contact tracing for students who test positive and they’ll be required to follow campus isolation protocols. Students who are identified as close contacts to a positive case must follow quarantine protocols.

Employees who test positive

Your local city/county health department is responsible for contact tracing. If your positive COVID-19 test result comes from a home test, please contact your local health department or primary care physician. Instructions on return to work guidelines will come from the health department. Please talk to your supervisor about how long you expect to be absent from work. Stay home to isolate or quarantine following CDC recommendations. Learn more information on close contacts and what to do if you are identified as one.

If you are a close contact due to a student case on campus, you will be contacted by Bradley Health Services, otherwise, your local city/county health department will handle contact tracing.

Classes

Students who are fully vaccinated, asymptomatic and identified as a close contact are expected to attend class.

Instructors will be notified by the university through Navigate only if a student must quarantine or isolate. Only notifications through Navigate should be accepted by faculty.

Students will need to discuss any assignments with their instructor to ensure they’re completing all of the course requirements. Instructors haven’t been asked to provide the same kind of hyflex instruction as last year (i.e., the ability to Zoom into class). Instructors will determine the best ways to accommodate students who’ve been placed in quarantine or isolation with COVID-19.

Unvaccinated Close contact

If you are identified as someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for 15 minutes or more within a 24-hour period, starting two days before their illness onset (or two days prior to getting tested if they’re asymptomatic) until the time the patient is isolated, you’ll be notified and action will be needed.

Students may be instructed to schedule a COVID-19 test through Health Services. Or they may be instructed to begin immediate self-quarantine without a test.

Employees will be instructed to contact their primary physician or visit one of the testing sites in the Peoria area.

Close contacts will be required to quarantine. Individuals who meet the criteria for close contacts may only be released from quarantine if they have no symptoms for a 10-day period. This quarantine is required for those who aren’t fully vaccinated even after receiving a negative test result.

Fully Vaccinated Close Contacts

For those who are fully vaccinated and identified as a close contact, you don’t need to quarantine. Asymptomatic individuals should get tested 3-5 days after exposure. If you do exhibit symptoms, you should get tested and follow protocols based on that test result.

Student Living Close Contacts

Individuals living in a residence hall identified as close contacts who aren’t fully vaccinated will be placed in quarantine. If there’s a marked increase in the number of cases on a residence hall floor, all individuals on the floor who aren’t fully vaccinated may be put into quarantine.

If there’s a positive case in an off-campus residence or fraternity/sorority house, the entire residence or house will be considered close contacts and all those who aren’t fully vaccinated will be required to quarantine.

General Contact

If you have a connection with someone who tested positive and you’re not considered a close contact, no action is needed beyond monitoring your health unless you begin to develop symptoms. Risk of transmission is considered low.

No Contact

If you do not receive communication regarding contact, then no action is needed. Secondary contacts or brief contacts with a person diagnosed with COVID-19 aren’t generally at risk of infection.

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