Spring COVID-19 Testing Strategy
Dear Bradley Community,
The spring semester is just about ready to start! We’ve been working hard to get ready for your return with your health and wellbeing a top priority. Our testing strategy will continue to be a key part of our successes on campus. It’s up to each of us to do our part to keep ourselves and each other healthy and well. Let’s unite and do what’s right.
Our COVID-19 testing process will remain similar to the fall semester. We’ll administer surveillance testing, free of charge, for students, faculty and staff who will physically be on or near campus during the semester. Symptomatic students will be able to schedule appointments for testing through Bradley Health Services by calling 309-677-2700. Employees who are symptomatic or who wish to be tested should consult their primary care physician or one of the Peoria area testing sites.
We’re increasing the surveillance testing pool for the first two weeks of the semester to test approximately 500 students and employees per week during this time. Our emphasis will be on those who live in communities like residence halls or Greek housing due to their close proximity living arrangements.
If you’re randomly selected for COVID-19 testing, you’ll receive an email on Sunday of that week. You must schedule your testing appointment in advance, and the email will include a link to do so. Appointment times are on a first-come, first-served basis. Results should be returned within 24 - 48 hours. Instructions will be included in the email regarding what to do if you’ve previously tested positive for COVID-19, already received the vaccine or will be fully remote this semester. Also, pay attention to the instructions regarding where to enter Health Services, since you’ll enter the side door nearest Morgan Hall, not the main entrance.
After the first two weeks, our surveillance testing strategy will be dependent on the number and location of positive cases and our positivity rate on campus. You can follow our dashboard to see the data.
Anyone who receives a positive COVID-19 test from an off-campus testing site must report that positive test. Employees are asked to fill out the new self-report form, and students must report results to Health Services by calling 309-677-2700. If you’ll be under quarantine or isolation at the start of the semester, contact bradleyhealthservices@fsmail.
To help assist with contact tracing, it’s very important for students to let us know where they are living this spring. Please encourage your students to go to Webster where they can change their local address in the personal info tab. If they live in the residence halls, SAC or St. James, they don’t need to make this change (our systems will denote it).
If you feel ill or exhibit any COVID-19 symptoms, please don’t return immediately to campus and contact Bradley Health Services.
We look forward to getting the semester started!