Health & Safety

Guidance for Employees Experiencing Symptoms Associated with COVID-19

Any symptomatic employee should not report to work. As the number of suspected and confirmed cases of COVID-19 increases, all New York State employees must monitor themselves for possible symptoms, such as:

fever,
cough,
shortness of breath, or
respiratory infection/distress.

Any employee experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19 shall immediately report symptoms to their supervisor and human resources (HR) personnel at 934-420-2030 or HR@farmingdale.edu. The supervisor and HR personnel will immediately direct the employee to leave work, if they are currently at work, or stay home, if they are not at work, and self-quarantine as a precaution. The supervisor shall request and record the latest contact information for the employee, including home or mobile telephone numbers, so that HR personnel can reach them for follow up information. If the employee is experiencing severe symptoms and requires urgent medical attention, the supervisor should call 911 and notify the dispatcher that the distressed employee may have COVID-19 symptoms, so that emergency medical service responders may use appropriate precautions.

Facility maintenance personnel will clean and disinfect the suspected employee’s work area, including their desk, chair, telephone, desktop and computer equipment. Facility maintenance personnel will also clean the nearby common areas, including but not limited to door handles/push plates, light switches, elevator buttons, door handles/push plates, break room tables and chairs, as well as kitchen and restroom faucets.

HR personnel will remotely contact the employee to (1) inquire about current symptoms, (2) verify that they have precautionarily quarantined, (3) confirm the last day the employee was on campus and identify any close professional contacts, (4) direct the employee to call a health care provider and seek testing. The employee should first contact their primary health care practitioner to see if they are available and able to collect a sample for testing. If not, the employee should contact the New York State COVID-19 hotline at 1-888-364-3065 to be referred to a regional testing site that can collect and submit a sample for testing. The employee must notify HR of the test results as soon as they are received. Test results will be verified by the New York State Department of Health (DOH). People who have been in close contact with a symptomatic employee are at a greater risk of contracting COVID-19, if the employee tests positive. As a precaution while the employee awaits test results, HR – in consultation with DOH – will identify the employees who may have been in close, sustained contact with the employee after they became ill. These close professional contacts will be notified by HR of their potential exposure and directed to self-quarantine. Professional contacts shall remain quarantined until the symptomatic employee’s test results are received, and HR provides further notice.

Guidance on the Contacts of a Close or Proximate Contact of a Confirmed or Suspected Case of COVID-19

If the test results for the employee are positive (+), HR personnel will immediately direct the employee to maintain their quarantine for fourteen (14) days and advise the professional contacts to maintain their quarantine and, if they become symptomatic, seek testing from their health care provider. HR will also notify the supervisor of the positive test result and send a notice to all employees who work within the nearby work location.

If the test results for the employee are negative (-), HR official will promptly direct the employee to return to work after they have recovered from their illness and direct the professional contacts under quarantine to resume their daily activities and return to work.

For your reference, please find a summary flowchart of the above process. Employees should contact their supervisor or HR office with questions or concerns. Farmingdale State College personnel shall uphold the privacy of information shared by employees, in accordance with state and federal law.

Guidance for Students Experiencing Symptoms Associated with COVID-19

As the number of suspected and confirmed cases of COVID-19 increases, all New York State residents should monitor themselves for possible symptoms, such as:

fever,
cough,
shortness of breath, or
respiratory infection/distress.

Any student experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19 should immediately report symptoms to their primary healthcare provider, an urgent care center, or their local Emergency Room. If you are experiencing symptoms it is vital to remain where you are until you get in touch with a healthcare provider. It is crucial to call the healthcare facility prior to arrival in order to minimize the potential of spreading the virus to other community members. Students on campus can contact the Health and Wellness Center from 9 AM through 4 PM Monday-Friday at 934-420-3578 and contact campus police at 934-420-2111. Students with a confirmed positive case of COVID-19 are encouraged to contact the Health and Wellness Center to inform them of their condition and diagnosis.

Self-Reporting COVID-19

As part of SUNY’s comprehensive response to COVID-19, SUNY System Administration is responsible for tracking the number of exposed and infected students, staff and faculty members across the University system. As part of this process, Farmingdale State College has created a secure form External link to self-report potential and confirmed cases of COVID-19.

For Faculty & Staff

All employees who have been diagnosed positive for COVID-19 or have been potentially exposed are required to self-report so the College can provide the information to SUNY System in order to track the impact of the COVID-19 on individual campuses and within the system as a whole. If you are not able to access the form, please contact the helpdesk. If you have any questions about this form or the use of this form, please contact the Human Resources office.
During these extraordinary times, we understand that many of us may be facing challenges both physically and mentally. We want to remind you of the services available to the members of our faculty and staff.

Employee Assistance Program: Kathleen Devine is our Farmingdale Employee Assistance Coordinator. Kathy is available to any staff or faculty member who would like to contact her. Communication with Kathy is confidential and free. She can be contacted by email at Kathleen Devine.
Empire Plan Providers: NYSHIP Empire Plan enrollees are also eligible for certain mental health programs under the plan umbrella. Beacon is the provider for the Empire Plan mental health services. Plan and provider directory information can be found on the NYSHIP website External link.

For Students

We are encouraging all of our students to self-report their potential or confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19. This information will be reported to SUNY System in order to track the specific impact COVID-19 is having on our students here at Farmingdale State College. If you are not able to access the form, please contact the helpdesk. If you have questions regarding the COVID-19 disease, please contact the Health & Wellness Center.
If you are a student struggling emotionally, Farmingdale State College stands ready to help. Contact Campus Mental Health Services who may be able to provide you with telehealth counseling sessions or assist you in accessing mental health resources in your local community.

Directions to Self-Report

To self-report your COVID-19 exposure status, please fill out the self-reporting form External link. Please be sure to be logged in using your Farmingdale State College email address. If there is an update to your status, you can click the link back to the form External link and update your information accordingly. Once you save the form, a new entry will be created and your updated status will be saved.

No personally identifiable information will be provided beyond SUNY System. Please continue to check the Coronavirus website for updates.