Western Nevada College is open with classes on campus and online. Apply for admission today, apply for financial aid, and meet with an advisor to get your schedule going today!

Commitment to Safety

At the heart of our reopening plan is the recognition that the safety and well-being of our students, faculty & staff is the top priority. This has been an essential aspect of how we reopen and operate Western Nevada College. We will continue to evolve as state and federal guidance change, utilizing the Nevada Recovery Framework and NVOSHA Guidance for Businesses documents as our framework.

• Health Status: Persons with COVID-19, unvaccinated people who have had close contact with COVID-19 cases, and anyone who is not feeling well or has a fever should stay home from work or school to prevent or reduce the risk of transmitting viruses that cause disease.
• Hand Hygiene: Handwashing and using hand sanitizer before and after touching common surfaces helps the spread of many diseases including COVID-19.
• Sanitation: College departments and cleaning crews will take extra measures to clean and disinfect surfaces throughout the day
  • When no people with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 are known to have been in a space, cleaning once a day is usually enough to sufficiently remove viruses that may be on surfaces and maintain a healthy facility.
  • Disinfection of shared spaces should continue in high traffic areas or areas where other prevention measures are used infrequently. Self-service disinfection stations will be maintained throughout campus.
• Vaccination: All Employees are encouraged to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
• Face coverings and PPE: Pursuant to CDC guidance released May 13, 2021, “fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear a mask or physically distance in any setting, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, regulations, including local business and workplace guidance”
• Face coverings are provided for unvaccinated students. Students who do not have access to masks should contact the Office of Wildcat Student Life located in the Dini Student Center.
• Face coverings are provided and required for unvaccinated employees. Faculty and staff who do not have personal face coverings should contact Human Resources.
• Gatherings: To the extent practicable, avoid large groups of unvaccinated persons. Unvaccinated students and staff should maintain 6 feet of physical distance from others at all times.

Team Member Wellness and Mental Health

Team Member Wellness

Team members who have had close contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19 – excluding those who have had COVID-19 within the past 3 months or who are fully vaccinated, are presumed positive for COVID-19, or are positive for COVID-19, will not be permitted in the workplace and may be approved for remote work for 14 days. Employees who are too sick to work remotely, or whose positions are not conducive to remote work, will be placed on appropriate leave as defined by current leave policies.

Returning to Work on Campus After Illness or COVID-19

Group 1 – Employees with Mild to Moderate Symptoms

If an employee’s symptom(s) can be attributed to another known health condition, or if an employee has minor respiratory or digestive symptoms without a fever (e.g. symptoms related to air quality), the employee may return to work on campus when symptoms have improved and the employee is well enough to do so.

Group 2 – Employees Who Have Had Close Contact with Someone Diagnosed with COVID-19 – excluding those who have had COVID-19 within the past 3 months or who are fully vaccinated

An employee who has had close contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19 must self-quarantine for a minimum of 14 days. The employee may return to work on the 15^th day after close contact with that person.

Group 3 – Employees Presumed Positive* for COVID-19

If an employee has COVID-19 symptoms which cannot be attributed to another known health condition or external factors, or if the employee has respiratory symptoms with a fever or other less-common COVID-19 symptoms, the employee may only return to work when:

• At least 10 days have passed since symptom onset – 20 days if the employee is
  severely immunocompromised  AND
• At least 24 hours have passed since resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications AND
• Other symptoms have improved

OR

• A health care provider confirms the cause of the employee’s symptom(s) is not COVID-19 and provides a written release for the employee to return to work.

OR

• A COVID-19 test is negative and the symptoms have resolved

Group 4 – Employees Positive for COVID-19 Who Are Asymptomatic

If an employee tests positive for COVID-19 but does not develop symptoms, the employee may discontinue isolation and other precautions 10 days after the date of the positive test, 20 days if the employee is severely immunocompromised, and may return to work on the 11th day after the positive test.

Group 5 – Employees Positive for COVID-19 Who Are Symptomatic

If an employee tests positive for COVID-19 and is directed by a health care provider or health agency to care for themselves at home, the employee may return to work when:

• At least 10 days have passed since symptom onset – 20 days if the employee is severely immunocompromised AND
• At least 24 hours have passed since resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications AND
• Other symptoms have improved

Group 6 – Employees Who Have Been Fully Vaccinated and Exposed to COVID-19

Test-Based Return-to-Work Acceleration

A test-based strategy is no longer recommended except to discontinue isolation or other precautions earlier than would occur under the symptom-based strategies outlined above. An employee in groups 3 through 5 may return to work sooner if the employee has had two negative results using RT-PCR for detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA under an FDA Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for COVID-19 from at least two consecutive respiratory specimens collected ≥24 hours apart.

Additional Considerations

Not all circumstances will fall into the categories above, and WNC may use discretion in determining if and when an employee should return to work on campus.  In such Cases, supervisors are encouraged to consult with Human Resources and Environmental Health & Safety. Factors to be considered may include but are not limited to:

1. Was the person in “close contact” (see definition below) or just in “contact” (shared a space with distancing/face covering)?
2. Was the person/people “advised” to test or “mandated” to test by the health agency having jurisdiction?
3. Has anyone involved in the exposure to the known positive person shown symptoms?
4. How many days since last contact with the known positive person?

* WNC reserves the right to make a COVID-19 positive presumption

Definitions

Asymptomatic – Presenting no symptoms of disease.

Close Contact – Contact as described below with a person who has COVID-19:

• You were within 6 feet of someone who has COVID-19 for a total of 15 minutes or more
• You provided care at home to someone who is sick with COVID-19
• You had direct physical contact with the person (hugged or kissed them)
• You shared eating or drinking utensils
• They sneezed, coughed, or somehow got respiratory droplets on you

Isolation – Separates sick people with a contagious disease from healthy people.

Quarantine – Separates and restricts the movement of people exposed to a contagious disease to see if they become sick. These people may have been exposed to a disease and do not know it, or they may have the disease but do not show symptoms.

Symptomatic – Exhibiting or involving symptoms

FAQs

Employee Assistance Program (EAP) – GuidanceResources

The EAP is accessible by phone and online twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. The EAP program is a confidential and specifically designed to assist employees and their families in handling personal and work-related issues. All services are free and completely confidential.

Visit GuidanceResources Online at www.guidanceresources.com and enter your company ID: WNCEAP

Remember, your GuidanceResources benefits are strictly confidential.

The information on this site is not intended to be all-encompassing and should not be considered medical or legal advice.