Dear Brown Community Members, 

A few reminders regarding the plan for distributing rapid antigen tests for the rest of the semester:

-- Community members can continue to pick up four (4) tests next week. This is to ensure that individuals have access to sufficient tests during and after spring recess. As a reminder, individuals planning to travel over the spring recess (March 26 - April 3) must take a rapid antigen test on the first day they return to campus (day 1) and a second test two days later (day 3).

-- Now that testing is optional for all members of the Brown community other than the small number of students and employees with approved exemptions from the vaccination requirement, we will consolidate distribution of tests to one location (Alumnae Hall) after spring recess. The last day of operations at the One Davol Square test pick-up site will be Friday, April 1. The Alumnae Hall test pick-up site will be open on Saturday, April 2, and Sunday, April 3. Beginning Monday, April 4, distribution of rapid antigen tests will take place at Alumnae Hall, Monday through Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

-- Members of the Brown community will continue to be able to pick up two rapid tests per week at the Alumnae Hall test kit pick-up site throughout April and May.

-- Please note that mask wearing remains required at the test kit pick-up sites.

-- Please keep in mind that testing of any type is not a substitute for monitoring and paying attention to the onset and development of symptoms. All Brown community members must stay home from work, class and/or other University events and functions if they are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19.

In regard to test results reported to the University over the last week: From Thursday, March 17, through Wednesday, March 23, 25 students reported positive test results (unchanged from a corrected total of 25 last week). Approximately 3 students are currently in isolation in on-campus or designated isolation housing off-campus (note that the number of students who report positive tests results and the number in isolation will not be the same each week, as students may isolate in their off-campus apartments or at home if they live nearby, and the isolation numbers fluctuate as students begin and end their respective isolation periods). In the same timeframe, 7 employees reported testing positive (up 1 from last week). We also monitor employee absences due to COVID-19 — which can be for a range of reasons, including care of a child or family member or quarantine due to a known exposure — and the number of such absences for the most recent full work week was 6. It is important to note that these numbers represent employee absences reported to University Human Resources and do not necessarily reflect all of the disruptions currently impacting faculty and staff due to K-12 school closures and remote learning, care for a family member, or other challenges to daily routines.

Through Wednesday, March 23, we have distributed 44,258 test kits. Operating hours for the test kit pick-up sites can be found on the testing page of the Healthy Brown website:

https://healthy.brown.edu/testing-tracing/test-kit-pick-sites

If you are visiting the test pick-up sites for additional tests and you have recently taken a pack of ten (10) KN95 masks, please leave the masks for others. Each bag of masks is sufficient for most people for about a month.

As previously communicated, rapid antigen tests are becoming increasingly available from the federal government supply as well. Insurance companies are now reimbursing the costs of tests, and tests will be available in the coming weeks at pharmacies and other locations with no out-of-pocket expense. Tests can also be ordered directly at https://www.covidtests.gov/ (we understand this option is not available for direct mailing to students in residence halls -- we suggest having tests delivered to a family member or friend who can send them to you at Brown and/or taking advantage of the insurance reimbursement option referenced below). We encourage all members of the community to take advantage of these resources. Information for employees regarding options through participating insurance carriers can be found on the University Human Resources benefits page:

https://www.brown.edu/about/administration/human-resources/benefits

And information for students participating in the student health insurance plan can be found on the United Healthcare Student Resources website (see the March 11, 2022, updated titled “COVID-19 Home Test Member Reimbursement):

https://www.uhcsr.com/news-main

Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns. For questions or support regarding the testing program, students can contact the student testing support team (studenttesting@brown.edu), and faculty and staff can contact the employee testing support team (employeetestinguhr@brown.edu).

Sincerely,

Russell C. Carey
Executive Vice President, Planning and Policy