Updated: February 2023

Maine Media is determined to maintain a safe and supportive environment for everyone to create stories and make images together. We continue to monitor the evolving conditions of the COVID 19 pandemic, and follow health and safety recommendations from the Federal and Maine State CDC. Beginning in 2023, Maine Media will no longer require proof of vaccination against COVID 19. For your personal safety and the health of the community, we strongly encourage everyone to be up to date with both their vaccinations and booster regiment for COVID-19 and the Flu.

Maine Media highly encourages face coverings whenever working inside campus labs and facilities. This includes classrooms, darkrooms, the sound stage, studios and all indoor common spaces. Individual workshops may require the use of face coverings. This will be clearly indicated by the instructors in advance of the start of the workshop.

As always, the health and safety of our community is an urgent priority. We ask that you continue to practice safe social distancing, and use hand sanitizer that can be found across campus. If you are in need of a mask, they are available at the desk in the HAAS Building or in the Thorne Dining Pavilion. We also recommend that you carry health and travelers insurance.

Maine Media administration will continue to monitor health and safety guidance from local and national CDC offices, and will adjust requirements and guidance accordingly. We sincerely appreciate your consideration. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or concerns about these policies.

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Michael, Mansfield, President


COVID-19 Campus Safety Guide

Information here will be updated regularly to reflect the most recent guidelines provided by the Maine CDC.

CDC QUARANTINE & ISOLATION CALCULATOR
CDC CORONAVIRUS SELF-CHECKER
TRAVELING TO MAINE
GROUP SIZE INFORMATION
FACE COVERINGS
PHYSICAL DISTANCING
HAND HYGIENE
COMMUNICATION
CONTACT TRACING
IN CASE OF EXPOSURE, ILLNESS & TESTING
CLEANING & DISINFECTING
RESOURCES
PAST UPDATES
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Maine Media Workshops + College COVID-19 Risk Statement

Maine Media Workshops + College consistently seeks to take steps to minimize the risk of COVID-19 infections (or any other spread of disease) in accordance with applicable law, regulation, and guidance provided by health authorities. These efforts may include policies and safeguards implemented by Maine Media such as symptom checks, social distancing, use of facial coverings, and isolating and quarantining when required. Despite these efforts, Maine Media cannot categorically guarantee that any person entering Maine Media campus or facilities will not contract COVID-19 or any other communicable disease and any such person must assess and accept the risks of illness or injury for themselves.


CDC Quarantine & Isolation Calculator

The Quarantine & Isolation Calculator is a tool to help determine how long you need to isolate, quarantine, or take other steps to prevent spreading COVID-19:

The Coronavirus Self-Checker is an interactive clinical assessment tool that will assist individuals ages 13 and older, and parents and caregivers of children ages 2 to 12 on deciding when to seek testing or medical care if they suspect they or someone they know has contracted COVID-19 or has come into close contact with someone who has COVID-19.

The online mobile-friendly tool asks a series of questions covering topics such as isolation and quarantine, vaccination status, symptoms, test results, exposure, underlying medical conditions, etc. Based on the user’s responses, the tool then provides information about interpreting test results and when to quarantine and isolate, as well as recommended actions and resources.
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CDC Coronavirus Self-Checker

For up to date information on when to be tested please use the CDC Coronavirus Self-Checker tool.

The Coronavirus Self-Checker interactive clinical assessment tool that will assist individuals on deciding when to seek testing or medical care if they suspect they or someone they know has contracted COVID-19 or has come into close contact with someone who has COVID-19.

The online mobile-friendly tool asks a series of questions covering topics such as isolation and quarantine, vaccination status, symptoms, test results, exposure, underlying medical conditions, etc. Based on the user’s responses, the tool then provides information about interpreting test results and when to quarantine and isolate, as well as recommended actions and resources.
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Traveling to Maine

Beginning May 1, 2021, travelers from all states will be able to travel to Maine without providing a negative COVID-19 test result or quarantining, unless otherwise determined by the Maine CDC.

 As circumstances dictate, the Maine CDC may revise and implement new testing and quarantine protocols at any time. Maine Media will adhere to guidelines set forth by state authorities.
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Group Size Information

ON CAMPUS

Maine Media Workshops + College asks that you practice safe social distancing

As circumstances dictate, the Maine CDC may make adjustments to Group Size requirements. Maine Media will adhere to guidelines set forth by state authorities.

OFF CAMPUS

Effective May 24, 2021, Maine has lifted capacity limits and physical distancing requirements for public indoor and outdoor gatherings.
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Face Coverings

ON CAMPUS

Masking is strongly encouraged for everyone when working indoors. For those working in the photo and book arts labs, an N95 or comparable is required. 

If you need a mask, KN95 masks are available at the desk in the HAAS building.

OFF CAMPUS

Effective May 24, 2021, Maine will no longer require fully vaccinated people to wear face masks.

Businesses may set their own mask guidelines and can determine if they will require proof of vaccination.

When circumstances are unknown or uncertain, wearing a face covering and having a cloth face covering available in case needed will allow individuals best to meet these directives and recommendations.

Face masks are generally made of multiple layers of cloth, which cover the nose, mouth and chin and are secured either with ear loops or with ties behind the head.
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Physical Distancing

 ON CAMPUS

Maine Media Workshops + College will adopt the State of Maine and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (U.S. CDC) guidance and ask that you practice safe social distancing, and use hand sanitizer that can be found inside facilities.

 As circumstances dictate, the Maine CDC may make adjustments to physical distancing requirements.  Maine Media will adhere to guidelines set forth by state authorities

 OFF CAMPUS

Effective May 24, 2021, Maine has lifted capacity limits and physical distancing requirements for public indoor and outdoor gatherings.
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Hand Hygiene

Good hand hygiene prevents spread of disease. The best hand hygiene is frequent handwashing. Wash hands or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer (at least 60% alcohol) especially between contact with individuals.

Hand washing may be done in Maine Media’s campus bathrooms located in the NIC building, Haas Building, and the Focus Building.

Hand sanitizer stations are located at the entrance to each building on campus.
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Communication

All students, faculty and staff please update contact information regarding emergency notifications with Student Services. This will allow Maine Media to best communicate with you.

Email: The President may send email updates at key junctures to keep the community advised.

Web site/s: Maine Media is posting regular updates and information to a one-stop source web site for Covid-19 information: www.mainemedia.edu/covid19. The web site also connects to more information from the Maine and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

If you have a question not answered by any of this guidance you may contact Student Services at 207.236.8581.

Emergencies: A warning will be issued through MMW+C’s email and may also be issued through text messages and/or cell phone calls. The emergency warning will be distributed to all MMW+C’s students, staff, instructors, and other attendees who are present on campus. The emergency notification will include instructions for appropriate action. To view complete policy – Emergency Notification Policy
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Contact Tracing

Contact tracing is a fundamental public health activity that involves working with an individual who has been diagnosed with an infectious disease to identify and provide support to people who may have been infected through exposure to the infected person. To facilitate contact tracing by the Maine CDC, Maine Media may maintain a record of information about students, staff, instructors and other attendees, the date they were at Maine Media, and the possible individuals who had direct, prolonged interaction with them.

Based on current scientific knowledge, a close contact is someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for a total of 15 minutes or more starting from 48 hours before illness onset until the time the patient is isolated. An individual is also considered a close contact if they provided care at home to someone who is sick with COVID-19, had direct physical contact with the person (hugged or kissed them), shared eating or drinking utensils, or if the person sneezed, coughed, or somehow got respiratory droplets on them.
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In Case of Exposure, Illness & Testing

What do I do if I feel I may be sick with COVID-19?
– If you feel sick please quarantine in your room or home and notify Kerry Curren, Registrar as soon as possible at 207.236.2705 or by email at [email protected]. For results, you may request a rapid test from Maine Media.
– Individuals may be asked to be isolated until transferred to home or a healthcare facility.

What are the guidelines for people who has had close contact with someone with COVID-19?
– Use the CDC Quarantine & Isolation Calculator to determine recommendations.

Where can I get tested?
-Individuals may contact Walk-in Care at Pen Bay Medical Center directly to request a COVID-19 test by calling 207-301-6000.

The Walk-In Care is located at 22 White Street Rockland, ME 04841.
Hours: 8 am to 6 pm daily

Walgreens offers no-cost, contactless COVID-19 testing for patients age 3 and up at select locations, in partnership with the PWNHealth provider network. Rockland Walgreens located at 28 Park St, Rockland, ME 04841, offers the COVID-19 test (7 miles south of campus). Walgreens in Camden does NOT offer testing.

Must I get tested after a close contact with someone who has COVID-19 if I am fully vaccinated?
– No, but please follow the recommendations of the CDC Quarantine & Isolation Calculator.

When may I return to class or work after testing positive for COVID-19?
The ill individual(s) may return based on the CDC Quarantine & Isolation Calculator.

If an individual needs urgent medical attention (e.g., if the individual is having difficulty breathing), Maine Media will call 911.

Maine Media may need to work with public health officials to determine who may have had close contact with the individual with COVID-19 and who may need to take additional precautions, including exclusion from campus and remaining at home.

If an individual informs Maine Media that they tested positive for COVID-19, Maine Media may call the Maine CDC at 1-800-821-5821.

Ending isolation for people who had COVID-19 and had symptoms.
Please refer to the CDC Quarantine & Isolation Calculator.

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Cleaning and Disinfecting

The virus that causes COVID-19 can land on surfaces. It is possible for people to become infected if they touch those surfaces and then touch their nose, mouth, or eyes. In most situations, the risk of infection from touching a surface is low. The most reliable way to prevent infection from surfaces is to regularly wash hands or use hand sanitizer.

Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces can also reduce the risk of infection.

When no people with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 are known to have been in a space, Maine Media will clean once a day to remove virus that may be on surfaces and help maintain a healthy campus.

Maine Media will clean more frequently or disinfect (in addition to cleaning) in shared spaces if certain conditions apply that can increase the risk of infection from touching surfaces:

  • High transmission of COVID-19 in your community,

If there has been a sick person or someone who tested positive for COVID-19 within the last 24 hours, Maine Media will clean AND disinfect the space.
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Resources

State of Maine COVID-19 Response
Maine Center for Disease Control (CDC)
US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Coronavirus Self Checker
Walgreens COVID testing
Maine Media COVID-19
Maine Media General Policies
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Past Updates

July 12, 2022
August 12, 2021
May 24, 2021
April 14, 2021
March 31, 2021
November 20, 2020
July 24, 2020
March 20, 2020
March 6, 2020
April 22, 2020
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Additional Resources