Updated saliva testing hours and locations

Dear students, faculty and staff,

It was wonderful to see so many of you in person on campus last week for the spring semester. We are encouraged that the campus COVID-19 positivity rate is 1.96%, much lower than city and state rates. This success is a result of your continued compliance with our health and safety measures, including comprehensive testing, contact tracing, masking and vaccination. We will return to regular saliva testing hours and locations and continue ongoing mandatory and surveillance testing programs for the spring semester.

Where can I get COVID-19 saliva testing on campus?
We will resume normal operating hours, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, at Student Center East and Student Center West saliva testing sites beginning Tuesday, Feb. 1. The SHIELD Illinois testing site at the Isadore & Sadie Dorin Forum allowed us to increase capacity temporarily for re-entry testing; however, this site is no longer necessary to manage our ongoing testing needs.

Who should continue regular testing?
Do NOT take the saliva test:

• If you have symptoms of COVID-19.
• If you have had a positive COVID-19 test within the past 90 days.
• If you have had a saliva test in the previous 48 hours.

Mandatory COVID-19 testing is required for:

• All unvaccinated students, faculty and staff who have a medical or religious vaccination exemption and all partially vaccinated students, faculty and staff, twice per 7-day period, 48 or more hours apart.
• All students, faculty and staff in residential housing and performing arts, once per 7-day period.
• Student athletes should follow testing directives from UIC Athletics.

Surveillance testing is strongly encouraged for:

• All students, faculty and staff not in mandatory testing groups. Specific units and departments will be contacted via email throughout the semester on a rotating basis to participate in saliva testing to inform current and future health and safety measures.

What other safety measures will continue for the spring semester?
Masking is required indoors on campus, including in classrooms, except when alone in a private office or personal residence hall room, or when an individual has a medical condition, disability or other reason that prevents them from safely wearing a face mask. A limited number of KN95 and medical/procedure masks are available for students at the Student Center East and Student Center West and campus libraries; colleges and units will distribute available masks to faculty and staff.

Updated isolation and quarantine procedures, utilizing Illinois Department of Public Health and CDC Considerations for Institutions of Higher Education, will continue on campus. Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19, regardless of vaccination status, will still be required to isolate for a minimum of 10 days from symptom onset or a positive test. Quarantine guidance will vary for those exposed to COVID-19, depending on vaccination status and low-, medium- or high-risk exposure. UIC Contact Tracing will provide the most up-to-date guidance for individuals who test positive or those who have been exposed to COVID-19.

Any member of the UIC community who tests positive outside of UIC must report your results through the UIC COVID-19 Reporting Tool.

For additional information, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions webpage.

Welcome back!

Michael Amiridis
Chancellor