UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN River Falls

COVID-19 Information

Please check our Falcons Forward pages for current information about academic instruction, residence life, dining, and more Fall 2020 information. If you have tested positive for COVID-19 or been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19, please call 715-425-4000 or email contact.tracing@uwrf.edu. If you have questions specific to campus that are related to COVID-19, email covid19@uwrf.edu.

Health and Safety Tips

For more COVID-19 health and safety information, please visit the CDC COVID-19 website.

Preventive wellness efforts are the best way to avoid COVID-19. These include:

  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.

  • If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry.

  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

  • Stay home, leaving only when needed for food, medication, or to seek medical care.

  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

  • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, or use the inside of your elbow, then throw the tissue in the trash and immediately wash your hands.

  • Practice social distancing: stay at least 6 feet (2 meters) from other people, do not gather in groups, stay out of crowded places and avoid mass gatherings.

  • Wear a cloth face covering in public settings where it is difficult to maintain 6 feet distancing (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies), especially in areas of significant community-based transmission (wash face coverings at least daily).

  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a household cleaning spray or wipe that kills viruses such as influenza and coronavirus.

Face coverings shall be required in all indoor public spaces, including classrooms, and strongly encouraged outside when physical distancing is not possible.

Reasonable accommodations will be made for individuals unable to wear a face covering. Requests for reasonable accommodations are considered on a case-by-case basis. It is the responsibility of the individual requesting the accommodation to contact the appropriate office below to obtain an approved reasonable accommodation.
 
• Employees requesting a reasonable accommodation, should contact Human Resources and complete the Reasonable Accommodation request form located here.
• Students requesting a reasonable accommodation due to disability, should contact Ability Services and may find more information here.
• Students requesting a reasonable accommodation for a reason other than a disability, should contact the Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Excellence & Student Success.
 
Students with an approved reasonable accommodation will receive an approved accommodation form from the Ability Services Office and must present that upon request to a university official or instructor. Return to Campus-COVID 19 Policy, Page 3 A student or employee who has been granted a reasonable accommodation by the university is not required to explain to others the underlying basis for the accommodation.

If you have COVID-19 symptoms, visit go.uwrf.edu/gettested or contact Vibrant Health Family Clinic at 715-425-6701 for a virtual or in-person appointment.

Testing for individuals with and without COVID-19 symptoms will be offered on the first floor of Hagestad Hall weekdays from 8 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. Symptomatic individuals may also use the university health care provider (Vibrant Health Clinic in River Falls) through Student Health Services or their own provider for testing.

For on-campus COVID-19 testing:

If you are experiencing symptoms you should complete an online screening for assessment and try to schedule an appointment. If no appointments are available, we are accepting walk-ups for those with symptoms.

Even if you are not experiencing symptoms at this time, you can get tested to help keep our campus community safe. It is important to realize that you can be infected and spread the virus but feel well and have no symptoms.

Follow this steps to schedule a test:

  • Complete an online screening symptom, exposure and general activity data.
  • Schedule an appointment for your COVID-19 test (The test takes just a few seconds).
  • On the day of your test, arrive on time at First Floor of Hagestad Hall and bring your student ID.
  • Testing will be professionally administered and should only take a few seconds with results available within about 15 minutes. Depending on the results, appropriate information and medical advice will be presented.

Answers to questions related to COVID-19 or influenza can be found at CDC.gov. Clarifying questions can be directed to UWRF Student Health and Counseling at 715-425-3293.

It is not unexpected that the COVID-19 situation is creating concern and anxiety among many people. Please know that there are services and resources available. Students can call UW-River Falls Counseling Services at 715-425-3884 or check the Counseling Services webpage regarding services and other online information and resources. Counseling Services is offering remote telecounseling therapy appointments, just as we had in-person, so students can email (counseling.services@uwrf.edu) or call 715-425-3884 to schedule an appointment. For employees, see the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) through Human Resources.