Contact Tracing

The University’s Campus Support Team includes the Office of Student Outreach and Support, University Health Services, Housing and Residence Life, and the Contact Tracing Team.

Under the direction of the Hamilton County Health Department, the Team follows Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Tennessee Department of Health guidelines to provide support and guidance to all students and staff in regards to COVID-19.

Guidance Summary:

• Any student or employee—regardless of vaccination status—should submit the COVID-19 Notification Form if you are:
  • Experiencing COVID-19 symptoms outside of your normal health status
  • Feel you may have been exposed
  • Have been notified by someone that you are a close contact
  • Have traveled internationally or via cruise ship
• A member of the Contact Tracing Team will reach out as soon as possible to provide guidance and instructions.
• Next steps vary depending on whether or not you live on campus or have been vaccinated.
• To calculate your expected quarantine or isolation period, you can use your last day of exposure (for quarantine) or first day of symptoms (for positive), with the State of Tennessee’s Quarantine or Isolation Calculator.
• If you are fully vaccinated (it’s been more than two weeks after your second dose of Pfizer or Moderna or more than two weeks after your dose of Johnson & Johnson vaccine) and you do not have any symptoms, you do not need to quarantine. You should:
  • Wear a mask for the next 14 days
  • Get a COVID-19 test three to five days after you were in contact with the person diagnosed with COVID-19
  • Report symptoms via the COVID-19 Notification Form if they occur during the 14-day self-monitoring period. Then get tested and isolate. You will receive a notice with a link to submit test results. Submit your results and await further instructions from Contact Tracing.
  • Read more guidance for individuals who are fully vaccinated here.

Updated August 26, 2021

Positive Cases

Positive cases are people who have tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19.

• Isolate away from others for at least 10 days from the day your symptoms began; or if you don’t have symptoms, ten days from your test date.
  • Use the State of Tennessee’s Quarantine or Isolation Calculator to determine your expected date of release from isolation.
  • If a positive case continues to have symptoms longer than this timeframe, isolation may be longer.
  • Await confirmation from Contact Tracing before returning to campus.
• In general, household contacts are those who live with the positive case.
• Close contacts are those who have been within six feet of the positive case for more than 15 minutes in a day or have had direct exposure to respiratory secretions.

Learn more at utc.edu/isolate-quarantine.

Quarantine for Close Contacts

Campus Support will help students and employees determine how long to quarantine based on each individual’s circumstances. The following is guidance for unvaccinated individuals.

• Close contacts should quarantine for a minimum of ten days.
  • The length of time of quarantine is determined by the date of exposure and whether symptoms develop.
  • Those who have symptoms may be required to quarantine for 14 days.
  • If a close contact wishes to apply for a quarantine time exception, they must test on day 5 or after with a PCR or rapid antigen test through a medical provider and submit a COVID Notification form with the negative results attached and attest to being symptom-free. If approved, they would be released on day 8 of the original quarantine period.
• Household contacts that continue to live in the home with a positive case should quarantine for longer; sometimes up to 24 days.
  • Household contacts can apply for a shortened quarantine if they test on or after day 15 (10 days for their positive household member + 5 days of their own quarantine period) and remain symptom-free. If approved, they would be released on day 18 of their original quarantine period.

To get an idea of the exact days you should test and then be released, use the State of Tennessee’s Quarantine or Isolation Calculator under the section “You have been identified as a close contact: Quarantine Calculator.”

Learn more at utc.edu/isolate-quarantine.

Individual Circumstances

Vaccinated

Vaccinated individuals are always encouraged to submit a COVID-19 Notification Form. Learn more about guidance for vaccinated individuals at: I’m vaccinated. Now what?

If you are fully vaccinated (it’s been more than two weeks after your second dose of Pfizer or Moderna or more than two weeks after your dose of Johnson & Johnson vaccine) and you do not have any symptoms, you do not need to quarantine. You should wear a mask and get a COVID-19 test three to five days after you were in contact with the person diagnosed with COVID-19.

Unvaccinated

The guidance on this page is general information that usually applies to unvaccinated individuals. You are always encouraged to submit the COVID-19 Notification Form. 

On- and Off-Campus Guidelines

On-Campus

Please be aware that limited temporary housing is available for on-campus students who are needing to isolate or quarantine.

Housing and Residence Life makes the final determination for all on-campus students and staff regarding that individual’s quarantine/isolation residence on campus.

UTC utilizes an experienced team of public health experts to expedite contact tracing efforts on campus. The Contact Tracing Team, under the umbrella of the Campus Support Team, will investigate and research on-campus reports of positive students and provide them with guidance on Hamilton County Health Department isolation procedures. Contact Tracing members also support and help students navigate UTC’s various departments to locate needed resources during their time in isolation.

Off-Campus

Students and employees who do not reside in a UTC residence hall are subject to their local county or state’s isolation and quarantine policies and procedures. You should follow those guidelines in addition to submitting a COVID-19 Notification Form to receive instructions and academic notice from the Campus Support Team.

• Hamilton County residents’  information will be forwarded to the County for case investigation.
• Others who live outside of Hamilton County in neighboring communities (Bradley, Marion, Catoosa, Walker, Dade, etc.) will have their information forwarded to the correct health department via the Hamilton County Health Department.

We encourage all of those who self-test at home to call their local health department to self-report since lab results will not be available. Hamilton County residents should call 423-209-8383, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Monitoring

Campus Support may check in with positive cases and their household and/or close contacts to ensure they are doing well and following isolation and quarantine guidelines.

All students and employees are asked to monitor their health closely and report any symptoms that could be COVID-related when the symptom is outside of their normal health. The identity and privacy of anyone diagnosed with COVID-19 is protected per Federal privacy laws and regulations.

Questions?

The Campus Support Contact Tracing Team can be reached:

• By phone at 423-425-1351; M-F, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
• By emailing us at ctquestions@utc.edu

Frequently Asked Questions