COVID-19 Testing Protocols This Spring

Dear Students,

As we conclude the first week of the spring semester, I want to share plans to uphold our most important promise: keeping you healthy and safe. As a part of that commitment, we will continue to conduct ongoing, mandatory testing this spring to manage the COVID-19 virus.

Starting Monday, Feb. 1., we will begin contacting students about their next mandatory test.

Here’s how testing will work:

• Students physically coming to campus will be divided into four teams that will test together during specific periods of time, as part of our Wildly Strong testing plan.
• You will receive notification over the weekend about which team you’re on and when you will be expected to test.
• After completing your first test, you’ll receive a T-shirt and be placed in a drawing for cash prizes.
• Students who do not complete their ongoing tests will be contacted by the Office of Student Conduct to ensure an appointment is made.

Important reminders about COVID-19 safety on our campus this spring:

• The deadline for mandatory entry testing is tomorrow, Jan. 30. Schedule your test if you haven’t already.
• If you are not physically coming to campus this semester, you are not required to participate in entry testing. If this applies to you, you can let us know your circumstances here.
• If you tested positive on or after Oct. 16, please upload your test results here if you haven’t already.
• Students physically coming to campus who do not receive an entry test within the testing window will be contacted by the Office of Student Conduct.

We know we are asking more of you. We share a sense of anxiety, exhaustion and frustration. But we are getting closer to returning to normal. Vaccines are making our communities safer. Ongoing testing also makes us safer. It gets us to the finish line of defeating this virus more quickly.

You are not in this alone. UK Health Corps is here to help. Questions about entry testing – or other ways the university can provide support – can be sent to healthcorps@uky.edu, or you can call 218-SAFE.

We are in this together.

Eric N. Monday

Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration