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COVID-19

Although no longer a pandemic, COVID-19 is endemic, and we may see cases throughout the academic year. We’re here to help. Together, we continue to make decisions and take steps focused on keeping ourselves and our communities as safe and healthy as possible. Read on for guidance on how to protect yourself and others.

Prevention

Vaccination

  • Students, faculty, and staff who provide patient-facing health care must provide documentation of a COVID-19 primary series and a booster or obtain a religious or medical accommodation.
  • Tufts recommends that all faculty, staff, students, vendors, and affiliates review CDC COVID-19 vaccine guidance and discuss with their health care provider the benefits of remaining up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters.
  • Review the university's complete COVID-19 vaccination policies and requirements.

Masking

Tufts suggests wearing KN95 masks indoors as an effective strategy to prevent transmission of respiratory illness, including COVID-19.

  • To protect our patients who may be vulnerable, masking is required in all health care settings, including designated areas of the School of Dental Medicine, Student Health Service, the Counseling and Mental Health Center, and Tufts Occupational Health Services (OHS).
  • Masks are available at pharmacies and online.
  • Additional information on the use of masks can be found on the CDC’s website.

Upcoming Vaccination Clinics

View information about current and upcoming campus vaccination clinics.

Exposure

See CDC guidance for what to do if you are exposed to someone who has COVID-19. Please seek medical advice at any time should you become symptomatic and follow the CDC's Isolation Guidelines if you test positive. 

Illness & Testing

Please stay home if you are experiencing symptoms. Below is guidance for getting evaluated and tested if you are symptomatic. Please do not attend class or come to work without having tested negative. Supervisors and faculty are being asked to be flexible with respect to accommodating students and employees who are out due to COVID-19 infection.

Faculty and Staff

For evaluation or testing, call or visit a Tufts Occupational Health Services location on your campus:

Boston Health Sciences: 75 Kneeland Street, 6th Floor, Suite 602 | 617-627-6500, option 2

Grafton: 200 Westboro Road, Administration Building, Ground Floor, Room 113 | 617-627-6500, option 3

Medford/Somerville: Steve Tisch Sports and Fitness Center, 161 College Avenue, Suite 130 | 617-627-6500, option 1

Students

Contact the health center on your campus to schedule an appointment for symptom evaluation and/or symptomatic testing. If you are a visiting student and require a COVID-19 symptom evaluation or test, please visit your primary care physician or an urgent care clinic.

Select your campus:

Student Health Service
124 Professors Row, Medford
Phone: 617-627-3350
On-call service is available 24/7

Center for Collegiate Wellness at Tufts Medical Center
Phone: 617-636-6006 

If the Center is closed, visit your PCP or local urgent care clinic. 

Health Service
200 Westboro Road, Ground Floor, Room 013, Grafton 
508-887-4300 

If the office is closed, visit your PCP or local urgent care clinic. 

If You Test Positive

Follow the CDC's Isolation Guidelines and, per Tufts guidelines, count the day you received your positive test result as Day 0. You are responsible for notifying your close contacts and your supervisor or course instructors.

Students will find instructions for isolation in residence halls at go.tufts.edu/isolation.

Supervisors should follow existing sick time and/or extended sick leave policies for employees who test positive for COVID-19.  

COVID-19 VACCINE FAQs

Patient-facing faculty and staff, as defined above, who do not provide a record of having received a COVID-19 primary series and a booster (or if previously unvaccinated, one bivalent dose) or obtained a religious or medical accommodation, will not be allowed to work in-person on campus. Managers will work with Human Resources and those not in compliance to determine if other work arrangements are possible, as identified in the Flexible Work Options Policy. However, if the job function requires the employee to work on-site, further action for non-compliance will be taken. This may include unpaid leave, suspension or other discipline, up to and including termination.

If you have questions about the COVID-19 vaccine, you can contact Student Health Service, Occupational Health Services, or your PCP.

If you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency, call 9-1-1. If you have symptoms that need evaluation during non-office hours and do not have other options, you should go to the nearest emergency room.

Additional Resources

Local Data Sources

We monitor multiple data sources to assess broad community trends and inform the university's COVID-19 management approach. These are some of those sources:

COVID-19 Vaccine Information