MANSFIELD, Conn. — UConn announced Saturday its COVID-19 testing and quarantine strategy for the fall semester.
Officials said the university's approach to testing for the community is straightforward: if a student or employee is coming to campus because they have to be there, they should be tested.
"There is not a “one-size-fits-all” approach to accomplishing this, so the university will utilize different avenues and strategies," UConn said in a tweet.
The university will not test faculty, staff and students who do not return to campus. That includes: students who are online-only and not living in a residence hall, faculty who are teaching only online courses, and staff who are telecommuting, which UCONN says "is a substantial segment of our population."
Below is the latest coronavirus information from UConn's administration.
Residential students:
- All residential students will be returning to campuses two weeks before the first day of classes to be tested and quarantined on campus.
- New information regarding housing assignments, the residential calendar, and quarantines is available on UConn's website.
- Housing assignments will be completed no later than August 1 and move-in will begin on August 14.
Commuter Students coming to campus:
- Commuter students registered for in-person classes are encouraged to submit proof of a negative COVID-19 test result, obtained within 14 days of the start of the fall semester (Aug 31).
- The University will test those who do not obtain a test on their own.
Commuter Students from out-of-state:
- Advised to obtain a negative test result within the time-frame indicated by the governor and the commissioner of the CT DPH, followed by a 14-day self-quarantine period which must be completed before coming to campus and attending in-person classes.
Faculty and Staff:
- Most employees who have been telecommuting since the spring should plan to continue to do so for the duration of the summer and during the fall semester 1) unless otherwise instructed by their supervisor to return to campus with at least two week’s notice where possible and 2) only when the employee’s primary functions are directly student-facing (exceptions will apply and may be authorized).
- Throughout the rest of the summer, faculty and staff are asked to avoid coming to campus wherever possible, to limit population density.
- If someone needs to come to the campus, they should contact their manager, department head, and/or dean.
University officials say additional messages will offer more detailed information for specific groups.
