Quarantine and Isolation Support Resources

Quarantine is used to keep someone who has been exposed to COVID-19 and may develop the disease away from others. Quarantine helps prevent spread of disease that can occur before a person knows they are sick or if they are infected with the virus without feeling symptoms. Students who have been knowingly exposed to someone with COVID-19 and identified by public health officials as needing a quarantine period are required to quarantine for 10 days and return to their regular room on the eleventh day. Quarantine can occur at home, at an off-campus location or on-campus as provided by the university. Isolation is used to separate people infected with the virus (those who are sick with COVID-19 and those with no symptoms) from people who are not infected. Quarantine and Isolation Move-out dates are determined by Health Services.

Isolation: No. Only in cases of emergency should students leave their rooms while in isolation. As students are knowingly positive, limiting movement to your room reduces the likelihood of further community spread.  

Quarantine: Students may only leave their space for specific reasons during the quarantine period and must wear a mask and practice social distancing. Approved reasons to leave your space:

• COVID Testing (instructions for testing procedures will be shared)
• Completing necessary medical appointments with pre-approval
• Taking out the garbage to the dumpster
• Doing laundry (masks required and do not remain in the laundry room during wash and dry cycles)
• Brief visits to the area directly outside your building for a breath of fresh air
• Picking up external vendor grocery delivery from your building’s front door

Using Rutgers Dining Services:

Please order all meals the day prior (for example for tomorrow, order meals today by 2pm). Students can order several days’ worth of food at one-time. Students can utilize their meal plan OR they must upload money onto their RUEXpress account to order Rutgers Dining using the following website http://food.rutgers.edu/quarantinemeals/    For questions related to dining services options, please reach out to Dining at orderquarantinemeals@dining.rutgers.edu

**In circumstances where students are moved after the ordering deadline, students will be offered an emergency meal bag to provide sustenance until they are able to have meals delivered to them.

Using External Vendor Delivery Services:

Quarantine: If you do not have a meal plan or would like to order groceries or a meal from an outside vendor (or have other means to eat), you can utilize the campus map for building address. You may leave your space temporarily to pick-up the delivery from the door with limited to no contact with the person delivering items.

Isolation: If you have groceries or other means to eat during your time in isolation, you do not need to utilize Rutgers Dining.  However, you must coordinate with your Residence Life contact person to coordinate any food/ grocery delivery to get from the building exterior door to your apartment door as you are not permitted to leave your apartment to get food.

Yes. Students can travel home to be with friends or family to complete isolation or quarantine if desired. Students should follow CDC guidance for travel if they plan to complete quarantine or isolation at home. Students should communicate to Residence Life their travel plans. Building access will be removed until the student is approved to return to their permanent residential space. We advise students and families to follow guidance from public health officials on how to quarantine or isolation at home.  

Students in isolation could have a roommate if they have an on-campus housing contract. Students in isolation are all knowingly positive and having a roommate does not impact spread. If a student is in quarantine due to exposure, they will not have a roommate. 

No. Being in quarantine or isolation means that you may have a higher risk for having been exposed to the disease. No visitors will be allowed.  

Residents should review the suggested packing list and additional guidance on moving to your quarantine location. You will be able to pack–up needed items from your room before moving to quarantine housing.

If you forget an item or run out of an item or supply, please connect with your Residence Life contact to discuss item retrieval. If the item is determined to be essential, efforts will be made to have item/s delivered to you in quarantine or isolation. Residence Life will not be able to provide prescription or over-the-counter medication.

If you need Rutgers Facilities provided supplies (trash bags or toilet paper), please reach out to Facilities Services to request supplies be dropped off to your quarantine or isolation space. During business hours, please reach out to the Facilities Call Center.

After business hours, please reach out to the building RA on-call (number posted in the building). Any student in quarantine or isolation housing should identify themselves as being in isolation or quarantine so staff can take the necessary safety steps to keep themselves safe while addressing maintenance concerns. 

Please let Residence Life staff know of your service and support animal and refer to the guidelines e-mailed regarding the care and feeding of your service or support animal. We will need to discuss arrangements if these guidelines cannot be met during your quarantine or isolation stay. Please wash your hands after contact with your animal. 

If you require accommodations, please reach out the Residence Life Student Support Team. 

Call your primary care physician or Student Health Services., Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. For after-hours care (evenings, weekends, and holidays), call Rutgers Student Health Advice Nurse Line at 800-890-5882. If you are experiencing severe coronavirus symptoms or experiencing a medical emergency, call 911. Please let them know you have been exposed to COVID-19. 

If you hear the fire alarm system sound, please evacuate the building immediately, wear a mask properly and be sure to maintain appropriate physical distancing in the emergency assembly point noted on the evacuation plans.  

Please place a maintenance request to report these issues and indicate you are in isolation or quarantine housing. If it is something that needs immediate attention, during business hours, please reach out to Facilities Call Center at 848-445-1234. After business hours, please reach out to the building’s RA on-call. Any students in quarantine or isolation housing should identify themselves as being in isolation or quarantine so staff can take the necessary safety steps to keep themselves safe while addressing maintenance concerns. In order for Facilities to enter your space, someone will reach out asking for the following:

• Best time to enter the apartment.
• Ask you to open windows in living room and unoccupied bed room.
• Ask you go into your room and close the door one hour before Facilities enters the apartment and stay in your room for the duration of them addressing the concern.
• Facilities enter the apartment at the designated time and spray Enviro Care Neutral Disinfectant in the work area, wait until area is dry and proceed to work and safely proceed to correct the problem.

Though Facilities can enter your space to address critical work orders, you will be responsible for the cleaning of your own living space, including the restroom.   

Your Residence Life contact person will regularly check-in to see how you are doing during your time in quarantine or isolation. Also, CAPS is offering teletherapy and other remote opportunities for engaging in conversations. Please visit CAPS website http://health.rutgers.edu/medical-counseling-services/counseling/. There are also free after-hours support lines that can assist students in crisis, http://health.rutgers.edu/general-resources/emergency-information/

All students in quarantine or isolation housing will be provided a care package from Residence Life Student Support Team to help reflect, pass time, and be connected during this difficult time. Additionally, Rutgers University is providing a plethora of opportunities for students to engage, connect, and be supported virtually.

Recreation Services:

Student Activities, clubs, organizations events:

Health Education & Promotion Events

Cultural Collaborative 

Student Health Services follows state public health official guidelines as they relate to quarantine and isolation. The quarantine period lasts 10 days and the isolation period lasts 10 days. You will be released from quarantine or isolation on the eleventh day. You will receive a confirmation from Student Health Services and Residence Life as to your move-out date a few days before it occurs. Masks should still be worn in all settings.

Move Out Checklist:

• Pack and remove all your personal belongings from the entire living space (suite or apartment)
• Clear and wipe down all your drawers/tables/ beds, etc..
• Take out any trash you may have to the community dumpster
• If you have any items or belongings in common spaces, please be sure to remove and clean those spaces.
• Place a work order for any broken or non-working items in your space: https://apps.ufcp.rutgers.edu/CR/Login?ReturnUrl=%2fcr  

• Do a final walkthrough to ensure you have all your items and nothing is left in the space as you will no longer have access to the space.

When you complete your move, to return your key

If on Busch campus: Go to the Richardson Key Drop (outside the Richardson laundry room) or 55 Bevier Road (Busch Res Life Office)

1.  Fill out the information asked on the envelope.
2. Please place your key(s) in the envelope.
3. Seal the envelope and drop it in the key drop.

If on Cook/Douglass campus: Go to the PAL building to return your key

1.  Fill out the information asked on the envelope.
2. Please place your key(s) in the envelope.
3. Seal the envelope and drop it in the key drop.

Students will return to their original residence hall room or apartment once you are released from quarantine or isolation housing. Quarantine and Isolation Housing move-out dates are determined by Health Services. Leading up to a student’s move-out date, you will receive an email that outlines move-out instructions including move-out timeline, where to return their key, removal of trash and personal belongings.  

Most students are using friends or family, taxis or a ride app (Uber, Lyft, etc.) if they do not have a car. Residence Life can provide transportation to your permanent room assignment. Because this has to be scheduled, you may have to wait for a ride longer than you may wish. These rides are curb-to-curb, so you will need to move your belongings to the curb and into the car, and then out of the car and to your permanent room. To schedule transportation, complete the Return From Quarantine/Isolation Information Form at least 4 days in advance of your departure. We cannot accommodate late requests.

All residents that have personal vehicles on campus should have a student parking permit. Specifically, while you are in quarantine or isolation housing, you may park in the resident student lot near your building. If there are any concerns, you can contact the Department of Transportation Services directly.  

Student information is protected by FERPA and medical information is protected by HIPAA. However, during a public health emergency, information may be shared with public health agencies on a need-to-know basis only. 

No. At this time, students are required to complete the 10-day quarantine period. On the eleventh day, students will be allowed to return to their original residence hall room or apartment.

Students should complete the temporary condition request form for any needs while in quarantine or isolation housing.  

All packages and mail should be delivered to your typical Rutgers mailing address. Please contact Rutgers Mailing Services if you require a package/mail extension due to being in quarantine or isolation. If there are packages, that are critical to your stay in quarantine or isolation, please discuss this with Mailing Services and your Residence Life contact person. 

The university has designated specific assignments for quarantine and isolation housing. Students will be given their assignment when contacted regarding the need to quarantine or isolate.

There are resources on campus that may be able to help in the case of financial hardship, missed classes, and other circumstances which heavily impact you. You may schedule a virtual appointment with the Dean of Students by emailing deanofstudents@rutgers.edu. The Dean of Students is available Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5pm. You may also reach out to Residence Life Student Support at rlstudentsupport@rutgers.edu  to schedule a support meeting and review helpful resources on campus. Student Support is available Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5pm.