(PDF VERSION - UPDATED 12/9/2020)
Dixie State Athletics COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions (UPDATED 12/9/2020)
Other information regarding DSU’s COVID plan is available here.
How does contract tracing work on campus? Is it different for athletics?
Contract tracing is led by the State of Utah who has given the Dixie State University Booth Wellness Center authority to conduct campus-wide contract tracing. The only involvement our Athletic Trainers have with contract tracing is ensuring those student-athletes who have been in contact with an infected person is withheld from all athletic activities.
Contact tracing for positive COVID-19 test cases and their close contacts (e.g. those who have come into contact with the positive case with less than 6-feet distance, for longer than 15 minutes within 48 hours of onset of symptoms) will be conducted by the Booth Wellness Center in collaboration with the Southwestern Utah Public Health Department (SWUPHD).
The measuring stick to assess for risk of exposure of close contacts is:
- Contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19
- With less than 6-feet distance
- For longer than 15 minutes
- Within 48 hours of onset of symptoms.
Employees and students determined to be at high risk of exposure will be sent home for quarantine and should monitor for developing symptoms. Employees will be instructed to contact their supervisor, inform them of their quarantine status, and work with HR and their supervisor to create a plan for remote work and compensation during quarantine. Students will be instructed to contact their professors/instructors and inform them of their quarantine status and arrange for remote delivery of courses.
Employees and students who quarantine as a result of close contact* to a person with positive test results are encouraged to submit a
confidential self-reporting form. This form will be received by the Booth Wellness Center who will then contact the individual and provide them with information to connect to campus services during their quarantine.
- Those who come into close contact with a positive COVID-19 case and are symptomatic will immediately be referred to a community partner for testing. If results are negative, they need to complete their 14-day quarantine and may return to work or school after 24 hours after fever resolves without the use of fever-reducing medications, or after symptoms have improved (at least 4-5 days after flu-like symptoms started).
- Those who come into close contact with a positive COVID-19 case and are asymptomatic, will be sent home to quarantine for 14 days. If any time during their quarantine they develop COVID-19 symptoms, they are advised to submit a COVID-19 Self Reporting Form.
- Those who come into close contact with a suspected** COVID-19 case and are not symptomatic are encouraged to submit a COVID-19 Self Reporting Form.
The measuring stick to assess for risk of exposure is a firsthand-exposure contact with less than 6-feet distance for longer than 15 minutes, per
CDC guidelines.
*Close contact is defined as contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19 for longer than 15 minutes AND closer than six feet within 48 hours of the positive case’s onset of symptoms.
**A suspected COVID-19 case is close contact with someone who has COVID-19 related symptoms when no test results have been given.
What is DSU doing to prevent the spread of COVID – 19?
- DSU is working in collaboration with the Southwest Public Health Department (SWUPHD) to receive all positive test results of students, faculty, and staff who have addresses within the five-county area.
- If an individual reports an address outside the five county area and they have a positive COVID-19 result, contact tracing is performed through their reported county of residence. These individuals are encouraged to submit a COVID-19 Self-Reporting Form to the Booth Wellness Center to perform their contact tracing on DSU campus.
- If you hear of someone who has been exposed to, is experiencing symptoms of, or has tested positive for COVID-19, please encourage them to self-quarantine and to fill out the COVID-19 Self-Reporting Form.
- You may provide the name of an individual you believe has tested positive or been exposed to COVID-19 by emailing the Booth Wellness Center at wellness@dixie.edu.
- When necessary, contract tracing will be conducted utilizing seating charts submitted by faculty. If a positive case is reported, students seated within six feet of the positive case will be contacted and asked to quarantine, but the remaining students in the class will be able to continue attending class without disruption.
What factors lead to my team being shut down?
This is an ever-changing topic that is guided by the NCAA. Our doctors and trainers gather information and make a medical decision based on the facts that they have. It is important to note that the decision to pause team activities is based on exposure and risk—not a specific number of positive tests. There is not a specific number of positive tests that indicate a need to stop team participation. Our trainers monitor who has been exposed and who they have been around. If the contract tracing indicates an exposure risk, our trainers may make the decision to pause activities.
How do I know if I have been exposed?
The CDC provides the following definitions for a person who has had close contact (Within 6 feet of a positive case for greater than 15 minutes over a 24-hour period). This is a cumulative time frame. For example, if a person spends 10 minutes near a positive case and then later that day they spend another 10 minutes near a positive case, then that person would be considered a case of being “exposed” to a positive case.
Exposure to:
- Person with COVID-19 who has symptoms (in the period from 2 days before symptom onset until they meet criteria for discontinuing home isolation; can be laboratory-confirmed or a clinically compatible illness)
- Person who has tested positive for COVID-19 (laboratory confirmed) but has not had any symptoms (in the 2 days before the date of specimen collection until they meet criteria for discontinuing home isolation).
What does a “shutdown” mean?
All players, coaches and staff do not have access to facilities and cannot participate in voluntary or involuntary workouts.
Am I allowed to leave campus? What are the protocols for me when I return?
Ideally, student-athletes should remain on campus during the course of the semester. Leaving campus should start with a conversation between the student-athlete a coach and trainer. Student-athletes should not leave the St. George area without first consulting with a coach and trainer regarding the return to campus process and consequences after returning to campus.
A student-athlete who leaves the St. George area will be required to sit out of competition, weights and contests for 72 hours. After the 72-hour self-isolation student-athletes will be re-evaluated.
Have the quarantine requirements changed? If I am asked to quarantine, what does that mean?
If you have been asked to quarantine, you are required to self-isolate, limit exposure in public, and be a good citizen, teammate and roommate by wearing a mask and ensuring you are not putting others at risk by exposing them to the virus. Y
You are permitted to leave your apartment—in fact getting outside for short periods of time is recommended, but the individual needs to avoid being around others, wear a mask and be overly careful not to be within 6 feet of another person.
What is the WAC in-season COVID-19 Testing Protocols?
Follow this
link to learn more about testing strategies.
The document is separated between basketball and sports other than basketball and provide risk categories. Here is the breakdown of risk categories for the sports at DSU:
Low Transmission Risk: Golf, Swimming, Tennis, Track and Field,
Intermediate Transmission Risk: Baseball, Softball, Cross-Country
High Transmission Risk: Basketball, Football, Soccer, Volleyball
The link above provides details on pre- season, in-season and out-of-season testing protocols.
As a student-athlete, how often will I be tested?
DSU is now providing free COVID-19 testing to students. The BinaxNOW rapid COVID-19 test is a rapid non-invasive test that takes minutes to administer and test results are provided to participants within 24 hours. Administration of this test follows the Utah Governor’s bi-weekly testing mandate. Please sign-up for a testing time and the accompanying registration and consent forms.
Participants must wear masks, maintain social distancing, and other appropriate measures during the length of the test.
Location: Gardner Center Ballroom
- Tuesday December, 1st from 2:00- 3:00 p.m.
- Wednesday, December 2nd, 8 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1-4 p.m
- Thursday, December 3rd, 8 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1-4 p.m.
- Friday, December 4th, 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. and 1-4 p.m.
- Monday, December 7th, 8 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1-4 p.m.
- Tuesday, December 8th, 8 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1-4 p.m.
Testing for student-athletes is done on a sport by sport basis based on the NCAA recommendations for that sport.
Student-Athletes will also be tested if they are experiencing any of the symptoms of COVID-19.
What are the COVID-19 requirements for when we travel or other teams travel to St. George?
Please refer to the current Attestation Form
What is the Return to Play policy?
When a student-athlete tests positive for COVID -19 it is important to ensure they are healthy before they return to play. Here is the link to the WAC Return to Play procedure:
Return to Play Policy
Is the entire state under a mask mandate?
Yes. Face masks are required in all counties.
When are face masks required?
You must wear a face mask while in an indoor public setting. You must also stay 6 feet away from other people who do not live with you while in an indoor public setting. Coronavirus.Utah.gov | 4 You must wear a face mask while outdoors anytime you are closer than 6 feet to other people who do not live with you. For businesses, face masks must be worn by both employees and patrons. The State Public Health Order requiring masks in schools is still effective.
What are the penalties for not wearing a mask?
You are subject to a fine. Businesses that fail to enforce employee mask wearing, promote patron mask wearing, or that do not post signs to that effect, are also subject to a fine by the Utah Labor Commission.
Are there exemptions for face masks?
Yes. State Public Health Order 2020-25 lists what settings or individuals are allowed face mask exceptions.
Do I have to wear a mask if I am a performer or athlete in an event (like a game, competition, or performance)?
No. Individuals who are actively performing as an athlete at an organized athletic event or who are giving a religious, political, media, educational, artistic, cultural, musical, or theatrical presentation or performance for an audience do not have to wear a face mask. However, we strongly encourage individuals to wear a mask at all times during athletic events and performances if possible.
