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NEWSThe Molecular Foundry COVID-19 Resources

March 16, 2020

Dear Molecular Foundry Users, Postdocs, and Staff,

Berkeley Lab requires proof of a COVID booster shot by February 28, 2022 for Molecular Foundry users accessing the Lab site. In light of the transmissibility of the latest omicron variant, and the science around the effectiveness of booster shots in reducing severe health consequences, Berkeley Lab is requiring boosters for all affiliates who work on site, and all employees working on-site and off.

Effective February 28, 2022, all users who wish to work on site at the Molecular Foundry must upload proof of full COVID-19 vaccination plus a booster shot through the Berkeley Lab clinic portal. If you have already uploaded your vaccination card to Berkeley Lab, you need to update your vaccination record with evidence of your booster shot. Follow these instructions, and be prepared to enter information about your initial vaccination series and your booster.  

Employees and affiliates who have received a vaccine exemption do not need to resubmit a new request for exemption; previous exemptions will apply to the new booster requirement. For those whose situations have changed and who would like to submit a new request for an exemption, do so by February 28 by submitting an exception or deferral request through the Lab’s OHR system. 

The Molecular Foundry is committed to providing welcome and support for all members of our community as we keep one another safe. While many of the COVID-related protocols have been removed, masks are required indoors for all persons, and we require you to regularly wash your hands, stay home if you’re sick, and disinfect surfaces as necessary.

We continue to require users to pre-arrange a daily access slot through their assigned scientist.

COVID testing is available for employees and badged affiliates. Additional information can be found here: https://covid.lbl.gov/

Best wishes,

Molecular Foundry User Office

Dear Molecular Foundry Users, Postdocs, and Staff,

This message contains information about Berkeley Lab’s current vaccination and travel policy, and actions to take for access to the Molecular Foundry.

Berkeley Lab requires vaccination against COVID-19 before site access. 

In line with changes across the Federal Government, Berkeley Lab is requiring persons who come on site to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. This applies to all users accessing the Molecular Foundry site, as well as all Berkeley Lab employees working on-site or off. 

Effective November 1, 2021, all users who wish to work on site at the Molecular Foundry must upload proof of full COVID-19 vaccination (i.e., you must be at least two weeks past your final dose) through the Berkeley Lab clinic portal. Requests for exemptions for medical, disability, and religious reasons, as well as requests for deferral due to pregnancy, may be submitted via the clinic portal, and will be reviewed. Additional controls will be required for people with approved exemptions and deferrals. If you have already uploaded your vaccination card to Berkeley Lab, no further action is required. 

The Molecular Foundry is committed to providing welcome and support for all members of our community as we keep one another safe. While many of the COVID-related protocols have been removed, masks are required indoors for all persons, and we require you to regularly wash your hands, stay home if you’re sick, and disinfect surfaces as necessary.

The Molecular Foundry is open for user work on site. Berkeley Lab retains the requirement to pre-arrange a daily access slot for on-site work at the Molecular Foundry, so work with your Assigned Scientist to make this arrangement. We have room for users within our daily slot allotment.

Berkeley Lab has recently updated travel policies. We are applying CDC guidelines for travel. 

As of the date of this message:

• Travel to the Molecular Foundry from within the nine Bay Area counties: Follow local and state COVID-19 prevention guidelines. No special approval, COVID-19 testing, or quarantine are required.
• Domestic Travel to the Molecular Foundry from outside the nine Bay Area counties: Fully vaccinated users are required to wear face coverings while using public transit or in transportation hubs, and to follow local and state COVID-19 prevention guidelines. No COVID-19 test is required before or after travel. No quarantine is required before or after travel. 
  • Users who have yet to be vaccinated or with an approved vaccination exemption or deferral have additional controls including COVID-19 testing before and after travel plus a quarantine after arrival. Please reach out for more details. 
• International travel from outside the US requires prior approval from the Molecular Foundry. You may make this request through your assigned scientist coordinated with the Foundry’s Facilities and Safety manager, Mike Wisherop. Fully vaccinated users are required to wear face coverings while using public transit or in transportation hubs, and to follow COVID-19 prevention guidelines for all relevant locations during travel. A negative COVID-19 test is required no more than 3 days before travel into the US. A negative COVID-19 test is required 3-5 days after arrival into the US. Quarantine is not required, but self-monitoring for symptoms and isolation plus testing if any symptoms develop is required.
  • Users who have yet to be vaccinated or with an approved vaccination exemption or deferral have additional controls including distancing from others during travel and a quarantine after arrival. Please reach out for more details.

We will keep you updated on changes to these policies, and welcome questions for clarification on the latest details.    

We understand that many of you may still be in situations that prevent your immediate return to work at the Molecular Foundry. If you require additional extension of your accepted proposal due to pandemic impacts, reach out to us in the User Program Office.

In summary, we recommend that users take the following actions:

• Obtain a COVID-19 vaccine approved by the FDA or WHO when one becomes available to you. 
• Complete the Vaccine Declaration Questionnaire (https://clinic.lbl.gov/), to determine the appropriate Protocol governing your safe work on side at Berkeley Lab.
• Reach out to your assigned scientist to make plans regarding travel. 
• Review the activation deadlines on your Molecular Foundry proposals which are pending activation, and those that have been automatically withdrawn due to lack of activation. If you have a proposal that requires further extension due to COVID-19 conditions in your local area, reach out to the Foundry User Program Office to request an extension. We treat each request on a case-by-case basis, with the intent to facilitate this science. 

Additional information can be found here: https://covid.lbl.gov/

Dear Molecular Foundry Users,

This message contains information about Berkeley Lab’s policy changes and actions to take, as access to the Molecular Foundry expands this summer. 

The world has been through a lot since the novel coronavirus first made headlines. We thank you for your patience and resilience, and all you have done through your personal actions in the fight against COVID-19. 

The level of risk of transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in Berkeley, California is presently very low. Alameda County and the neighboring counties have some of the highest levels of COVID vaccination in the nation, with around three quarters of all Alameda county residents having received at least one dose. Berkeley Lab has maintained no COVID transmission on site, with very few positive cases among the Berkeley Lab on-site working community. We have reason to be hopeful as we look toward the future.

We are very pleased to share the following updates with you, regarding research and operations on site at the Molecular Foundry.

Coordinated with changes in Berkeley Lab policy, we will implement a new operating model for work on site, effective July 12, 2021. There will be two sets of controls, based on whether or not full vaccination has been demonstrated to Berkeley Lab. Employees and affiliates (including all on-site Foundry users) who have uploaded their vaccination card will follow Protocol A, requiring a face mask when indoors (updated July 28). Those who have not yet been vaccinated, or who choose not to upload their vaccination card to the Lab, will follow Protocol B, with required masking, distancing, and weekly testing for COVID-19, to ensure the safety of all personnel working on site. 

Anyone who did not upload a vaccination card or receive a vaccine on site at Berkeley Lab prior to June 24, 2021 must complete the Vaccine Declaration Questionnaire to access the Lab site. No user will be scheduled for work at the Molecular Foundry until the Questionnaire has been completed. Information that you enter will be held in privacy. Supervisors (usually your Assigned Scientists) will be able to view whether or not you have completed the Questionnaire, and also which Protocol is assigned, but no further details.  

For people under Protocol A we are lifting restrictions on the following, as of July 12, 2021:

• Side by side work, including training 
• Meetings, both inside and outside
• Multiple people in an elevator
• COVID-related density limitations in rooms and laboratories
• Multiple people in restrooms. Single-occupancy, gender-neutral restrooms are available in Building 72. 
• Eating, including multiple people sharing the same dining tables.
• Personnel approved for daily access will be posted electronically, but will not be posted on building doors.
• Day use cubicles

While we anticipate that Protocol A will be more commonly applied, the Molecular Foundry is committed to providing welcome and support for all members of our community as we keep one another safe. Any person following Protocol B is responsible for maintaining distancing or masking while on site and working with Foundry staff to make reasonable accommodations that allow work to be done safely for all members of our community.

While many of the COVID-related protocols have been removed, we still encourage people to follow many of the public health protocols that have been normalized during the pandemic. Regardless of your vaccination status, please consider wearing a mask and continue to regularly wash your hands, stay home if you’re sick, and disinfect surfaces as necessary.

Berkeley Lab retains the requirement to pre-arrange a daily access slot for on-site work at the Molecular Foundry. However, we are retiring the three-shift structure for staggering on-site work. Your daily access slot will now cover a 24-hour period for your access date. Work with your Assigned Scientist to make this arrangement, typically at least one week in advance. Daily access slots will continue to be managed by Berkeley Lab, with a slow and steady addition of daily badges approximately every two weeks, throughout the summer and autumn. 

Travel to the Molecular Foundry continues to require authorization. Berkeley Lab’s domestic and international travel policies are currently under review in light of the changing pandemic context. As of the date of this writing:

• Travel to the Molecular Foundry from within the state of California does not require prior approval.
• Domestic travel from outside California requires prior approval. You may make a request through the Molecular Foundry. Domestic travel from outside California requires either a 14-day quarantine, or a quarantine equivalency protocol that includes physical distancing, masking, training, and communication. Reach out to your assigned scientist for more details. 
• International travel from outside the United States requires prior approval. You may make a request through the Molecular Foundry, which can then move forward for authorization from Berkeley Lab.  A 14-day quarantine, or a quarantine equivalency protocol that includes physical distancing, masking, training, and communication. Reach out to your assigned scientist for more details.   

We will keep you updated on any major changes to Berkeley Lab travel policy.

Even as we honor the hope in this moment, we remember those who have endured so much during the COVID-19 pandemic. Access to vaccines, and local outbreaks of COVID-19 are unevenly distributed around the globe. We understand that many of you may still be in situations that prevent your immediate return to work at the Molecular Foundry. If you require additional extension of your accepted proposal due to pandemic impacts, reach out to us in the User Program Office.

In summary, we recommend that users take the following actions:

• Obtain a COVID-19 vaccine approved by the FDA or WHO when one becomes available to you. 
• Complete the Vaccine Declaration Questionnaire (https://clinic.lbl.gov/), to determine the appropriate Protocol governing your safe work on side at Berkeley Lab.
• Reach out to your assigned scientist to make plans regarding travel. 
• Review the activation deadlines on your Molecular Foundry proposals which are pending activation, and those that have been automatically withdrawn due to lack of activation. If you have a proposal that requires further extension due to COVID-19 conditions in your local area, reach out to the Foundry User Program Office to request an extension. We treat each request on a case-by-case basis, with the intent to facilitate this science. 

Additional information can be found here: https://covid.lbl.gov/