ARM Special Announcement: Updated COVID-19 (Novel Coronavirus) Guidance

 
Published: 1 June 2023

As field operations ramp up for the summer, we wanted to update you on our COVID safety protocols.

With the expiration of the U.S. coronavirus public health emergency declaration in May, some data used to monitor COVID-19 activity are no longer being collected or have changed. Also, we recognize that test reporting has become less reliable as a metric in recent months. However, DOE laboratories continue to track available data such as hospital admission rates, regional test positivity data, and wastewater levels.

Masking requirements at ARM sites remain tied to local community COVID transmission levels. Masks are still optional onsite for low and medium levels but are required for high levels. We will update our requirements if the data and laboratory guidance indicate a change is necessary.

For anyone wanting to visit an ARM site, we ask that you continue to plan ahead. Before you plan your travel, please verify the latest processes for site access and consult with your institution about its travel policies. As we have seen several times over the past three years, COVID policies can change rapidly.

If your site visit request is approved, please check in with the site you will visit close to your departure date to verify its latest COVID safety protocol.

If you are feeling ill in the days leading up to your site visit, please stay home and notify site management that you will not be coming at the scheduled time. We will work with you to reschedule your visit if possible.

As always, we encourage you to contact us if you have questions about the status of the facility.

Thank you for your engagement with ARM.

Jim Mather
ARM Director

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ARM is a DOE Office of Science user facility operated by nine DOE national laboratories.