The rapidly spreading COVID-19 pandemic is starting to make inroads in the United States and affect our daily lives. La Jolla Institute for Immunology is taking further steps to prepare for the continued spread of the virus with the goal to protect the health of our employees while keeping interruptions that negatively affect our research to a minimum.
Please regularly check your emails and the intranet where you can find links to the latest updates. For those who don’t have access to the intranet while working remotely, we will also post the latest updates to the LJI homepage. Please email covid-19@lji.org with your questions or concerns.
Effective March 13, 2020, the following policies have been implemented at LJI:
Remote work:
We require all employees who can work remotely to start working from home. You will need to stay in regular contact with your supervisor via your LJI email.
Please inquire with IT (help@lji.org) with any technology-related question.
If you cannot accomplish your work remotely but need to stay home to take care of dependents because of COVID-19 related school closures or because somebody in your household is sick, you will receive paid time off. Please discuss your individual situation and your needs with your supervisor and HR.
If you are sick:
Specifically, if you have a fever, a mild or severe cough, or shortness of breath you need to stay home. Please notify your supervisor and HR. You can return to work if you have been symptom-free without a fever for 6 days.
Telemedicine services:
Aetna members have access to doctors 24/7 by phone, video, or mobile app through Teladoc telemedicine services for non-emergencies. Visit teladoc.com/aetna or call 1-855-TELADOC (1-855-835-2362).
Self -Quarantine:
La Jolla Institute has a mandatory 14-day quarantine policy that applies to anyone arriving from countries identified by the CDC as Warning Level 3, which now includes almost all of Europe.
If you have been in direct contact with somebody who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 you need to self-quarantine for 14 days.
If somebody you supervise exhibits symptoms of COVID-19 (listed above), we expect you to send them home.
Visitors:
Only visitors who are critical to the Institute’s continued operations are allowed on LJI premises. (e.g. deliveries of critical scientific materials and liquid nitrogen, regular and hazardous waste collections, contractors for ongoing installations and repairs, etc.)
Children are not allowed in the building.
Job candidates can come to the institute for in-person interviews but we encourage you to use video conferencing tools instead.
If essential visitors meet any of LJI’s criteria for self-quarantine, they are not allowed to enter the building.
Meetings:
All LJI events open to the public, including all scientific seminars with outside speakers, have been cancelled until further notice.
Internal meetings and seminars can proceed normally. Since we expect widespread absences, IT is developing a program that allows for virtual seminars and conferences.
Scientific Cores:
Available cores services may be limited and can change quickly due to staff absences. Please inquire with core directors before you plan any experiments.
Employee Assistance Program
The uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 can be very stressful and may provoke heightened feelings of anxiety. The Institute provides confidential counseling services through the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) at no cost to you. You can access EAP either by phone (800.227.1060) or online @ www.members.mhn.com (login: enhancedvisitor password:LIAI)
We will provide regular updates as we adjust our policies to a quickly changing situation.
You can learn more about COVID-19 and get the latest updates at:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
World Health Organization (WHO)
