LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — The University of Kentucky will be testing all students for COVID-19 if they decide to return to campus this fall.
President Eli Capilouto made the announcement in a letter to students, staff, and faculty. He says between August 3 and August 22, testing for all students— undergraduate and graduate professionals — will be available at five sites on campus and offered through a third-party expert — Lexington-based testing and genomics company, Wild Health — that has been retained by the university.
The testing will be available from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will be free to all students. The university will test approximately 2,000 students per day, and the results will be available within 24 hours.
What is required for students:
- All students — undergraduate, graduate professional — who are, or will be, coming to campus are required to be tested for COVID-19.
- Students who take all their classes online and do not plan to visit for any reason are not required to be tested.
- Students also will have the option to supply the university with test results conducted outside of initial testing on campus. That test must be an approved PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test and done within seven days before the student's arrival date on campus.
- For students living in on-campus housing, their arrival date is defined as their scheduled residence hall move-in date.
- Students living in off-campus housing, who want to complete their test, should do so within seven days of the date they first plan to arrive on campus for any reason (e.g. to buy books, etc.)
- The university is making arrangements for students who utilize off-campus testing to send or upload those results to Health Service. We will provide more information directly to students and families about that process.
- Students who test positive for COVID-19 will be required to quarantine following the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and state public health guidelines. UK Health Corps. will support them with the resources they need to ensure their health and well-being.
- The university is working on a follow-up student testing protocol for the rest of the semester.
Information for UK faculty and staff returning to on-site work locations:
- UK faculty and staff returning to an on-site work location are not required to take a test before returning to their on-site work location.
- If you are symptomatic and need to take a test, you will not incur any co-pays or out-of-pocket costs if you are an employee on a UK health insurance plan. However, the cost of a test may not be covered through your insurance plan if you are not symptomatic.
Every UK student, faculty member staff member — or someone who is about to come on campus — will also be asked to conduct daily screening.
The university also plans to release a campus-wide app, giving students and faculty access to apps that screen their health.
Classes start August 17.
