COVID-19 Safety & Prevention Resources, Information, and Campus Guidelines
THANK YOU! Together we are helping to keep our community safe and healthy...
COVID-19 POSITIVE TEST REPORTING FORM
Please use the COVID-19 Positive Test Reporting form to report positive COVID-19 cases to the Manager, COVID-19 Response and Compliance.
What is COVID-19?
COVID-19 is the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. The name "COVID-19" is an abbreviation of "coronavirus disease 2019".
Symptoms and Testing Positive
The most common symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, shortness of breath and/or difficulty breathing.
Other symptoms can include fatigue, body aches, runny nose, sore throat, chills, muscle pain, headache, and a new loss of taste or smell.
For a complete list of symptoms, visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's COVID-19 symptoms page .
Individuals with symptoms or who have tested positive are asked to:
Stay home for a minimum of 24 hours after the onset of symptoms or the positive test (whichever came first). Stay home until symptoms become mild and are improving AND there has been no fever without the use of fever-reducing medication;
A negative test is not required to return to campus;
A mask is highly recommended to be worn for a minimum of 10 days after the initial onset of symptoms or the positive test (whichever came first);
Individuals who have 2 consecutive negative tests at least one day apart may remove their mask sooner than 10 days;
During outbreak situations, masks are required to be worn by the exposed group for the full 10 days (outbreak directives will be communicated directly to the exposed group by the Manager, COVID-19 Response and Compliance);
Call your healthcare provider or Student Health Services for risk assessment and self-care advice and to ask about quarantine and isolation.
Exposure to COVID-19
If you have been exposed to COVID-19 get tested in 2-4 days after your last exposure, or immediately if you are experiencing symptoms.
Contact Tracing and Reporting of COVID-19 Exposures on Campus
COVID-19 Response and Compliance continues through the 25-26 fiscal year, to conduct contact-tracing procedures and report close contact exposures through notifications to exposed students, staff, and faculty as soon as possible after receiving notification of exposure.
Outbreaks are identified and further reported to the Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency, as required by law.
The Cabrillo campus community is notified of exposures that occur in public, high-traffic areas on campus.
Prevention of COVID-19
CDC's Respiratory Virus Guidance provides strategies you can use to help protect yourself and others from health risks caused by COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses. These actions can help you lower the risk of COVID-19 transmission (spreading or catching COVID-19) and lower the risk of sever illness if you get sick.
Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines
Although vaccinated people sometimes get infected with the virus that causes COVID-19, staying up to date on COVID-19 vaccines significantly lowers the risk of getting very sick, being hospitalized, or dying from COVID-19.
Practice good hygiene (practices that improve cleanliness)
Visit the CDC website to learn more about how to protect yourself and others
Testing for COVID-19
Students may obtain free Rapid COVID-19 Antigen Self-Tests from Student Health Services or at the Watsonville Student Resource Center.
Employees can get free Rapid COVID-19 Antigen Self-Tests from the Manager, COVID-19 Response and Compliance at krkascha@cabrillo.edu, Human Resources, Building 1550, on the Aptos campus, from Student Health Services, or at the Watsonville Student Resource Center.
You can still use expired Rapid Antigen self-tests as long as the Control (C) Line activates and the test has been stored at room temperature (36-86 degrees Fahrenheit).
Other Places to Find COVID-19 Testing
The U.S. government will continue to make COVID-19 tests available to uninsured individuals and underserved communities through existing outreach programs. Please contact a HRSA health center near you to learn how to access low- or no-cost COVID-19 tests provided by the federal government.
Please note that, unlike many other respiratory infections (such as the flu), the viral load for COVID-19 infections usually peaks on the fourth day of symptoms. This can affect early test results and/or when symptoms are most severe. This means that it is very important that you stay home if you have symptoms and test negative on days 1-3. Please stay home if you are sick.
Masks and Respirators on Campus
Cabrillo College is a mask-friendly environment. Please respect the choices of others.
Employees: Request N95 respirators and disposable surgical masks for your area through FPPO by submitting a work order. Training is required and provided to those employees choosing to wear an N95 mask.
Students: Request a mask from your instructor or from Student Health Services or the Watsonville Student Resource Center.
Treatment for COVID-19
Medications to treat COVID-19 are free, widely available, and effective for stopping COVID-19 illness from getting serious. Everyone 12 years and older who has symptoms and tests positive for COVID-19 should ask a doctor about treatment. See COVID19.CA.GOV for more information, including:
Vaccines for COVID-19
Updated COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations are Now Available (7/9/25)
Find a local appointment for a vaccine:
831-234-5804
Summer 2025: The COVID-19 Response & Compliance team continues to closely monitor COVID-19 on campus and relevant communications from county, state, and federal authorities. The team, along with Student Health Services, continues to provide information on any new COVID-19 developments that would impact the campus and continues to take action to ensure the health and safety of the Cabrillo College community.
Fall 2024: Updated 2024-2025 flu and COVID-19 vaccines are recommended for everyone 6 months and older. Limiting the spread of respiratory viruses helps everyone, especially vulnerable members of our community like children, older adults and those who are immunocompromised. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is encouraging all Californians to get vaccinated this season to protect themselves and their loved ones from respiratory viruses. Respiratory infections like flu, COVID-19, and RSV are common during the fall and winter seasons, and getting immunized against these diseases has been proven safe and effective in preventing serious illness in children and adults (CDPH). Let's keep working together to keep our community safe and healthy. Remember to wash your hands, wear a mask in crowded places, and stay home if you're feeling sick!
Fall 2024: Cabrillo College is aligning isolation recommendations/requirements for those who test positive for COVID-19 with the California Department of Health COVID-19 isolation recommendations that went into effect January 9, 2024.
Summer 2024: In keeping with trends from previous years, during the Summer Semester 2024, COVID-19 cases rose alongside the summer season heat in Santa Cruz county. Summer surges were expected and the increase in cases followed similar trends that were observed in the past two years.
January 9, 2024, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) recommends the following actions to align with common practice of other respiratory viruses. These actions outline what to do when an individual tests positive for COVID-19 and how to protect others, including the most vulnerable in the community.
Recommendations for people who test positive:
Stay home if you have COVID-19 symptoms, until you have not had a fever for 24 hours without using fever reducing medication AND other COVID-19 symptoms are mild and improving.
Follow the recommendations below to reduce exposure to others:
Mask when you are around other people indoors for the 10 days* after you become sick or test positive (if no symptoms). You may remove your mask sooner than 10 days if you have two sequential negative tests at least one day apart. Day 0 is symptom onset date or positive test date.
Avoid contact with people at higher-risk for severe COVID-19 for 10 days*. Higher-risk individuals include the elderly, those who live in congregate care facilities, those who have immunocompromising conditions, and that put them at higher risk for serious illness.
Seek treatment. If you have symptoms, particularly if you are at higher risk for severe COVID-19, speak with a healthcare provider as soon as you test positive. You may be eligible for antiviral medicines or other treatments for COVID-19. COVID-19 antiviral medicines work best if taken as soon as possible, and within 5-7 days from when symptoms start.
The potential infectious period is 2 days before the date of symptoms began or the positive test date (if no symptoms) through Day 10. (Day 0 is the symptom onset date or positive test date).
Recommendation for close contacts of positive covid cases:
If you have new COVID-19 symptoms, you should test and mask right away.
If you do not have symptoms, and are at higher risk of severe COVID-19 infection and would benefit from treatment, you should test within 5 days.
If you do not have symptoms and have contact with people who are at higher risk for severe infection, you should mask indoors when around such people for 10 days. Consider testing within 5 days after the last exposure date (Day 0) and before contact with higher-risk people.
https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/COVID-19-Isolation-Guidance.aspx#
January 9, 2024: The California Department of Health no longer recommends testing for all close contacts and instead recommends testing only for:
All people with new COVID-19 symptoms
Close contacts who are at higher risk of severe disease or who have contact with people who are at higher risk of severe disease
In workplace outbreaks it is still required to test all close contacts
January 9, 2024: The California Department of Health has adopted the following definition of "infectious period," which now applies to the COVID-19 Prevention regulations:
For COVID-19 cases with symptoms, it is a minimum of 24 hours from the day of symptom onset. COVID-19 cases may return if 24 hours have passed with no fever, without the use of fever-reducing medications, and their symptoms are mild and improving, OR
For COVID-19 cases with no symptoms, there is no infectious period for the purpose of isolation or exclusion. If symptoms develop, the criteria above will apply.
The potential infectious period is 2 days before symptoms began or the positive test date (if no symptoms) through 10 days after symptoms began or testing positive.
January 9, 2024: The California Department of Heath has updated their masking guidelines for those who have tested positive. If you become sick or test positive (without symptoms): Mask when you are around other people indoors for the 10 days after you become sick or test positive (if no symptoms). You may remove your mask sooner than 10 days if you have two sequential negative tests at least one day apart. Day Zero is symptom onset date or positive test date (whichever came first).
December 8, 2023: The Inspire Diagnostics testing site in Parking Lot R on the Aptos campus will be closed and their last day testing on campus will be Thursday December 7, 2023.
November 12, 2023: For Employees with SISC Kaiser Permanente and Blue Shield HMO Insurance Coverage:
As part of the end of the Federal Public Health Emergency:
COVID-19 Testing and Vaccinations will no longer be covered out-of-network.
SISC Blue Shield PPO plan out-of-network coverage previously ended in May 2023
For questions about your benefits, please contact Margie Casillas, HR Benefits Analyst, at macasill@cabrillo.edu.
November 11, 2023, the Public Health Emergency status expired. California Health & Human Services- Information on the end of California's COVID-19 State of Emergency and the Federal Public Health Emergency for COVID-19
Spring 2023: To align with COVID-19 Guidance for Institutions of Higher Education, and because it presents an inequitable barrier to entry for students, Cabrillo College has removed the vaccination mandate for students, faculty, and staff. Cabrillo College continues to strongly encourage vaccination against COVID-19 for all students, faculty, and staff. Information on current vaccine recommendations can be found at the CDC’s COVID-19 Vaccines page
If I WAS EXPOSED TO AN INFECTED PERSON IN MY HOME DO I NEED TO QUARANTINE OR BE EXCLUDED FROM WORK OR SCHOOL?
According to the CDC close contacts who do not have symptoms do not need to quarantine or be excluded from work (or school) after exposure to an infected household member. However, in this situation you are considered a high-risk contact with a much higher likelihood of infection and should more carefully follow all the recommended actions in the guidance, including getting tested if recommended (based on symptoms or risk of serious disease) and wearing a well-fitting mask indoors around others who may be at high-risk of serious disease, and around your household member with COVID-19.
WHAT ARE THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HOUSEHOLDS WITH AN INFECTED HOUSEHOLD MEMBER?
An infected person who cannot separate from others in the home should mask when around others indoors for 10 days (or until the person has two sequential negative tests at least one day apart), AND
Household contacts without symptoms should:
Mask in the home to protect themselves when not separated from the infected person for 10 days
Mask when indoors around uninfected people who are at higher risk for severe infection for 10 days
WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I EXPERIENCE COVID-19 REBOUND, WHETHER IT OCCURS WITH OR WITHOUT ANTIVIRAL MEDICINE TREATMENT?
For COVID-19 rebound (characterized by a recurrence of symptoms or a new positive viral test after having tested negative), you should re-isolate and follow the recommended actions of isolation guidance.
WHAT CAN I DO TO PROTECT MYSELF IF I HAVE A HIGHER RISK FOR SEVERE COVID-19?
Similar to other respiratory infections, take preventative measures to keep yourself safe when respiratory infections are circulating in the community. Stay up to date on recommended vaccines and talk with a healthcare provider about how best to protect yourself from severe illness. Consider wearing the most protective mask that fits well and that you will wear consistently when in indoor public spaces and on public transportation. The most protective masks are NIOSH-approved N95 respirators. KN95 and KN94 respirators can also offer good protection but are not as protective as N95s. Even if you are the only one wearing respiratory protection, it can still be protective.