Effective immediately, the University of Rhode Island will implement mandatory COVID-19 testing for all students, both on- and off-campus residents, in collaboration with the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH). The purpose of this mandatory testing is to assess the overall health of the entire student body at the University and establish a baseline data set to measure population health for the remainder of the fall semester. The University continues to be within the positivity rate recommended by the State and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Visit the URI COVID-19 Tracker for daily updates on testing rates.
Two testing locations will be set up for asymptomatic testing at the Memorial Union Atriums and The Ryan Center parking lots. The actual test will be painless and self-collected (a 1/2-inch cotton swab in each nostril, not the nasopharyngeal collection) and observed by a trained University member or RIDOH partner. The test takes about five minutes on average; however, students may have a short wait depending on the time of day and number of people also taking the test.
If a student is ill or has any COVID-19 symptoms, please DO NOT present for an asymptomatic test. Instead, they should call URI Health Services at 401.874.2246 and we will schedule a test and telehealth visit.
All students will receive an email the day before their scheduled test, notifying them of the day and time they are required to get their test, the testing location they should report to, and instructions to follow on the day of their test. All students should be prepared when they arrive at the designated testing site to provide a completed paper copy of the Dominion Diagnostics requisition form and present their health insurance card. The test should only take a few minutes to complete and results are expected within 48 hours. Health Services will contact any student who tests positive. All other students will be given information about how to login to see confirmation of negative test results.
The University welcomes this collaboration with the Rhode Island Department of Health to support the health of the Rhody community. Our community members live across the state and we want to ensure we are carefully monitoring and addressing any spread of this virus within our community that can result in outbreaks elsewhere.
It is imperative that all students cooperate with this mandatory testing program to ensure we can continue face-to-face classes for the remainder of the semester. Students who do not comply with mandatory testing will be referred to the Dean of Students Office. Not reporting for mandatory testing is a violation of the URI Student Handbook. All students are expected to participate, including students learning online, unless they have a health accommodation or are living out of the state/country. Students who have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus in the past 90 days should not be retested at this time and should email proof of their positive test to health@uri.edu.
We all share the goal of continuing face-to-face classes until the Thanksgiving break, and getting tested, knowing your health status and participating in any necessary contact tracing is doing your part. We must demonstrate that we can successfully learn, live, and connect with one another even during this global pandemic and continue to follow the guidelines that will keep ourselves and our community members healthy. Please help us complete this testing program successfully and let’s be #Rhodytogether for the remainder of the semester!