Ohio University to require all Athens campus students to take a COVID-19 test before returning for Spring Semester

Ohio University will require all Athens campus students to take an asymptomatic COVID-19 test before attending Spring Semester 2022 classes or other campus activities. 

In November, the University announced that all residential students would be required to take an at-home test before returning to campus for Spring Semester 2022. Now, with the delta and omicron SARS-CoV-2 variants driving a surge in COVID-19 cases, off-campus students also will be required to test before returning to campus activities.  

• Students who live in a residence hall and who didn't complete their required pre-arrival test at home or who lost their test kit should schedule a test at the on-campus CVS testing center for the day they arrive on campus. If CVS appointments are not available the day they arrive, they may test at the Vault Health testing center. 
• Students who live off campus should schedule a test at the Vault Health testing center before attending campus activities.
• Although not required to test before arrival, students on regional and extension campuses are encouraged to do so and can pick up a test. 

Students are welcome to take an antigen or PCR test at home before leaving for campus so that they know they are safe for travel. However, they still must test on campus when they arrive to confirm a negative result as the University cannot accept results from other providers. 

Faculty and staff are strongly encouraged to test before returning to campus activities for the safety of our campus community. Appointments are available for faculty and staff at CVS and Vault Health on the Athens campus. Those on regional or extension campuses can pick up a test and complete a Zoom-supervised test.  

Individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 within the last 90 days are not required to test. Those who have tested positive for COVID-19 and have not reported it to COVID Operations should complete an incident report.

All individuals who test at home or on campus should try to avoid contact with others as much as possible while awaiting test results. Individuals who receive a negative test result should continue taking everyday precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Those who test positive, experience symptoms, or are exposed to the virus should follow the OHIO COVID-19 Protocol.