FAQ: Quarantine Options for Students

Quarantine means staying in your own living space—whether that’s an off-campus apartment or house or an on-campus residence hall room—for the duration of a 14-day incubation period and monitoring yourself for any potential signs of infection.

Quarantining means that you can’t go out—not to work, school, or public places. While it is vital to keep in touch with friends, significant others, and family via phone or text, it is not possible to spend any time with them during the 14 days. This guide from University Health Service provides more details.

Updated 8/7
New York State (NYS) issued a travel advisory on June 25 requiring anyone traveling from another US state that has widespread COVID-19 spread to quarantine for 14 days when entering New York. The list of restricted “hot spot” states changes based on NYS criteria.

As of Aug. 6, 2020, the CDC has discontinued its guidance that required asymptomatic students from international locations to quarantine for 14-days upon arrival in the US. Therefore, the University will no longer require newly arriving students from abroad to quarantine (if international students have already begun a quarantine through the University, they need to complete it). The new CDC guidance recommends that students who arrive from abroad take four actions to protect themselves and others from COVID-19:  1) stay 6 feet away from those around you, 2) wear a face mask 3) wash your hands often, and 4) watch your health and look for symptoms.

The University and will continue to monitor developments and will follow guidance on travel advisories, quarantine, and other requirements from global, national, and state health and government officials.

Updated 8/11
The University is actively consulting with NYS officials and other higher education institutions and associations across the state to see whether students could be exempted from the quarantine mandate if they test negative for COVID-19 when they arrive at Rochester.

For now, we encourage students to consider one of the following options. All undergraduate students coming from hot spot states and who choose any of these options must register and/or notify the University of their plans using this online form: https://www.rochester.edu/reslife. 

Four quarantine options

Option 1: Wait it out

Undergraduate students coming from hot spot states who are planning to live on campus can choose to wait until their home state comes off of the NYS restricted list. Students will be able to take their classes online until that time and then move to Rochester. The University will arrange for several arrival dates after the start of the semester for both domestic and international students who are unable to arrive by the time classes begin on Aug. 26. Depending on when students from hot spot states are able to arrive on campus during the fall semester, on-campus room and dining rates will be retroactively pro-rated. Students will have until the end of October to come to campus.

* Option 2: Arrive August 1 and participate in University-sponsored quarantine

* Please note: This option is no longer available

The University is making available to residential undergraduates the option to participate in University-sponsored quarantine at the University—in the Riverview Apartments—from Aug. 1–14 with no additional housing charge. There are 600 available slots for this quarantine space in a variety of on-campus and off-campus locations that the University will assign on a first-come, first-served basis. All rooms will be singles, with no shared bathrooms.

This option requires arrival on Aug. 1 with an end-date for quarantine of Aug. 14. Unfortunately, there is no flexibility on these dates.

Although housing will be provided free of charge, quarantining students will be responsible for their food costs during this time. Students have variety and flexibility for dining options, including using URos or a credit card for Grubhub delivery. They can make a deposit in their URos account ($40 per day is a suggested budget) at learn.rochester.edu. Students are also free to use any other delivery service, including Instacart, or can cook on-site if their quarantine space has a kitchen. Support to offset these costs for high-need students is available from the Basic Needs Hub. Unfortunately, the practicing of instruments will not be permitted.

Once the 14-day quarantine is complete, asymptomatic students can move directly into their regular-year housing assignment on River Campus or at Eastman without any gap in days.

Option 3: Independent quarantine in tri-state area or a state not on the New York State list of “restricted states”

Undergraduates from hot spot states who plan to arrive on campus for the start of the semester may quarantine on their own for 14 days prior to their scheduled move-in date. This can be done in the tri-state area (NY, NJ, CT), or in a state not currently on the NYS list of “restricted states.” The quarantine could be done through independent housing, hotel arrangements off-campus, or through a friend or relative. Students who choose this option must submit proof to Residential Life that they have met the quarantine requirements prior to arrival on campus.

Option 4: Independent quarantine at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Rochester

The Hyatt Regency in downtown Rochester has worked with the University to offer a discounted rate for quarantining undergraduates of $99 per night ($1,386 for 14 days) for a single room, which includes housekeeping supplies and three meals per day brought directly to a student’s room. The Hyatt Regency’s offer has flexibility on the dates of the 14-day quarantine period if students need it—it does not require the Aug. 1 start date. The Hyatt also waived its “over 21” policy to allow students to quarantine there. The cost of your room can be applied to a student’s University billing account to avoid the need for a credit card payment. Registrants will be reviewed for financial need and high need students will receive support in the form of a credit that will be applied directly to their University account.

You can choose to wait until your state comes off the list, or you can quarantine on your own in the tristate area or a state that is not on the restricted states list. You can also choose to quarantine at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Rochester at a rate of $99/night. Registrants at the Hyatt will be reviewed for financial need and high-need students will receive support in the form of a credit that will be applied directly to their University account.

Yes. Quarantines are based on the restrictions in place when you leave your home. Our primary only concern is the risk of you carrying the virus when you arrive. If you’re coming from a “safe” state that becomes a hot spot while you’re in Rochester, you will not be required to quarantine.

If you spend less than 24 hours in a restricted state before arriving in New York, you do not need to quarantine according to the NYS travel advisory.

Yes. NYS requires you to quarantine for 14 days. The travel advisory applies to all students arriving in New York from one of the restricted states.

All undergraduate students arriving from hot spot states who are living off-campus should plan to quarantine in their residence.

All graduate students arriving from hot spot states should plan to quarantine in their graduate housing space or their off-campus residence.

For both groups, quarantine must be completed prior to coming on campus for any reason.

You will be required by NYS to fill out a Traveler Health Form, which you can complete online. This applies to everyone arriving from a restricted state, including those arriving by airplane, bus, train, or car.

Yes—they can choose to do an independent quarantine together, so long as it is in the tri-state area (NY, NJ, CT) or in a state not listed on the NYS list of “Restricted States.” Students will be required to sign a statement attesting that they complied with all of the rules and requirements of the 14-day quarantine. This means that the students did not leave their rooms or housing location during the full duration of the quarantine, all food was delivered or prepared in the home or room, and each student has their own individual bathroom, or only uses the bathroom when no one else is in there or in the hallway between their room and the bathroom.

If any student in the group develops COVID-19 during the quarantine period, the other student(s) must start a new 14-day quarantine, beginning the last day of contact with the student who became ill. Also, if the state where the students are quarantining goes onto the NYS list of Restricted States during the quarantine period, the students must move to a non-restricted state and start a new 14-day quarantine.

We are making provisions for students who will be coming by car to drop off items for their fall assignment before moving into quarantine. Students must call their area office to arrange for this in advance. All items must be in boxes (no plastic bags) and we will provide identification stickers. We will have staff move the items directly to the room. You will not receive keys or access to your fall assignment at this time. Drop off must occur between 12 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Area phone numbers to make arrangements for drop-off:

• First year Quad (Gilbert, Hoeing, Tiernan): (585) 275-5685
• Upper Class Quad (Burton, Crosby, Lovejoy): (585) 275-5685
• First Year Hill (Susan B. Anthony and Genesee): (585) 275-8764
• Jackson Court (Anderson, Wilder, O’Brien): (585) 276-4682
• Hill Court (Chambers, Fairchild, Gale, Kendrick, Munro, Slater): (585) 273-5853
• Southside (deKiewiet, Valentine, Maisonettes): (585) 276-6839
• Brooks Crossing: (585) 276-6839
• Fraternity Quad (Drama, DLH, SigEp, Psi U, Theta Chi, DKE, SAM, Sigma Chi, and ADP): (585) 275-5685

If you have stored your belongings since March, do not arrange for the storage company to drop your belongings until you are in your fall assignment after August 14.

No. This option subsidizes students only. Parents wishing to quarantine with their student may consider the Independent Quarantine option.

Yes. Students may quarantine in states that are not on the NYS list of “restricted states.”

If you submitted a request through the online form on the Office of Residential Life and Housing Services website, you do not need to do anything else. A representative from the College or Eastman School of Music will respond to your request within several days to confirm your application and room assignment. Please do not e-mail or call requesting confirmation of a reservation. If you need to modify or cancel your request, please contact the Office of Residential Life and Housing Services at (585) 275-3166 as soon as possible.

If your state comes off the New York State “Restricted States” list, you do not need to quarantine and can arrive as initially planned. Until and unless your state is placed on the list, you should not register for a University-sponsored quarantine.

No. The quarantine begins when the student arrives in the quarantine location. Quarantine means being separated from others for 14 days.

Updated 8/7
For late-arriving students who need to quarantine, the Hyatt Regency will continue to be an option for students for the entire semester.

Yes, as long as you follow the University’s masking and social distancing rules. Whether you live off-campus or on-campus, you will have access to campus facilities.