Important Updates on COVID-19

REOPENING THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA AND UF HEALTH SYSTEM

UF HEALTH SCREEN, TEST AND PROTECT INITIATIVE

The Screen, Test and Protect initiative uses public health guidance and best practices aimed at fostering a culture of care for our community while taking steps to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 as the University of Florida gradually returns faculty, staff and students to the campus environment.

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Information for Students

Screen Test and Protect

While all students are expected to eventually be screened as a part of our measured initiative to reopen campus, focus will be placed on students currently living on campus and having those students most involved with clinical and research activities return first. This will include the prioritization of students from the health colleges (Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Public Health and Health Professions, and Veterinary Medicine) who perform duties in clinical settings, and graduate students with responsibilities in research labs and other areas of our research enterprise.

Online Classes

The University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions continues to follow university mandates and guidance to take precautionary measures to protect the health of faculty, staff, students and the public while continuing the delivery of courses using electronic methods. Your health and safety and that of the public are of utmost importance to us.

The university will continue the delivery of courses via online. The Department of Health Services Research, Management and Policy faculty and UF administration are working to continue to provide the highest quality online education through our exemplary faculty and technology platforms.

Library Sources

The Health Science Center Library is closed until further notice. However, the virtual library is open and available, and library faculty and staff are here to help. The library will still provide the majority of its services remotely, including instruction, research consultations, reference services and digital interlibrary loan, as well as access to all of its digital collections, including journals, books, databases and clinical tools.

Contact reference@health.ufl.edu for reference help, instruction, consultations and other online services. You may also leave a voice message at 352-273-8408; library staff will be checking email and voicemail Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. -5 p.m. Journal articles, books, videos and other resources are available on the Health Science Center Library website.

Local Wellness Resources

Internet Resources

If you live in an area with slow internet options. You can go to the following site and see if eduroam is available near you: Connecting to eduroam off-campus.

There are more than 100 Wi-Fi hot spots in Florida, including several state university campuses and community colleges. You don’t have to sit in a car – many locations have open spaces and communal rooms available so you can get online while socially distancing and following CDC guidelines in an air-conditioned space. Also, in Florida all of the UF/IFAS Research and Education Centers (REC) are equipped with eduroam, so if you live in a rural area of your county you can visit an REC to securely watch course videos and take care of your academic needs.  Here’s a link to all the eduroam sites in the U.S.: Eduroam US locator map.

Helpful Links

Network Provider Resource Information
Comcast Xfinity WiFi Free For Everyone: Xfinity WiFi hotspots across the country will be available to anyone who needs them for free – including non-Xfinity Internet subscribers. For a map of Xfinity WiFi hotspots,
visit www.xfinity.com/wifi. Once at a hotspot, consumers should select the “xfinitywifi” network name in the list of available hotspots and then launch a browser.
Cox https://newsroom.cox.com/cox_internet_changes_to_assist_students_-_remote_workers
They are providing a free month for new customers and 19.95/mo for their lowest grade of service: https://www.cox.com/residential/internet.html?campcode=tnt_c2c_home_page_modal_sip_20200319
Hotspot Locations (for above provider) https://www.cox.com/residential/internet/learn/cox-hotspots.html
Spectrum/Charter Open wifi mentioned here: https://corporate.charter.com/newsroom/charter-to-offer-free-access-to-spectrum-broadband-and-wifi-for-60-days-for-new-K12-and-college-student-households-and-more
Hotspot Locations (for above provider) https://www.spectrum.com/wifi-hotspots
AT&T Open hotspot mentioned here (under community->keep Americans connected pledge): https://about.att.com/pages/COVID-19.html

Information for Faculty and Staff

Transitioning Back to UF

The University of Florida, UF Health Shands, UF Human Resources, and the Health Science Center has provided multiple resources regarding returning to the work during COVID-19. This page serves as a supplement, citing those original sources in a cohesive manner. To review those sources, click the appropriate button below:

Screen, Test & Protect

All UF, University Athletic Association and extension staff and faculty, regardless of location, are required to be screened prior to coming back on campus, and testing is strongly recommended. Faculty and staff who work in health care or on campus and who have been working since the beginning of the state shelter-in-place orders are strongly encouraged to be tested but it will not impact your work schedule.

Faculty and Staff of the College of Dentistry, College of Medicine, College of Nursing, College of Pharmacy, College of Public Health & Health Professions or the College of Veterinary Medicine:

  • Faculty and staff who have been working in clinical environments on the UF campus during the COVID-19 pandemic are still required to be screened, and are strongly encouraged to be tested, but the scheduling of testing will not impact your work schedule.
  • Faculty and staff who have not been working on the UF campus are strongly encouraged to be tested prior to returning to work. These plans are still being developed – we will communicate details when they are finalized.

Human Resources Guidance

For information on working through COVID-19, including guidance on taking leave and working remotely.

Research Operations

Returning to Work

Returning to work during the COVID-19 crisis is an additional stressor for many people during these uncertain times. UF Health psychiatrists Drs. Jody Brown and Carol Mathews discuss some ways to manage return-to-work anxiety.

Additional Information