Dear COVID-19 Routine Testing Faculty and Staff Participants,

I am writing to provide information and guidance to faculty and staff regarding the COVID-19 Routine Testing program for the period from Thanksgiving break through early January. This is a time period when — in conjunction with the recent return to Level 1 status, the remote reading and exam periods from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11 and the end of the fall term — the on-campus population will significantly decrease. However, the testing centers will remain operational during this time, and all community members who remain on campus and in Providence will be required to continue to get tested according to their assigned frequency.

For faculty and staff who have been working on campus, we understand that some may transition to remote status during this time period. Any faculty or staff whose designation is changed to remote will be removed from the routine testing program consistent with the Return to Campus Plan standard procedure.

Faculty and staff whose work designations remain essential onsite or essential special because they are authorized to be on campus will be required to continue to get tested according to their assigned frequency (see below for additional information regarding how testing will be handled during Thanksgiving Break and Winter Break).

Special Considerations for Thanksgiving Break:

• See here for detailed hours of operations of the testing centers the week of Nov. 23. Note that the OMAC testing center will be open Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 27-29.

• Faculty and staff who are working on campus any of these three days can continue to get tested according to their assigned frequency.

• Faculty and staff who are not on campus any of these three days should schedule their next test for their next day on campus or the soonest available appointment (similar to when they are on vacation).

Special Considerations for Winter Break:

• See here for detailed hours of operations of the testing centers during Winter Break (Dec. 21 to Jan. 1). The OMAC testing center will be open at reduced hours during Winter Break, except for Dec. 24, 25 and 31 and Jan. 1 (closed for those four days).

• The two-week period of Winter Break will be treated similar to how we have treated vacation for faculty and staff: If you are not working on campus during that time period you are not required to be tested, but you may continue to get tested if you choose. However, if you are working on campus during that time period, you are required to get tested according to your assigned frequency.

• Faculty and staff who do not get tested during Winter Break should schedule their next test for their next day on campus or the soonest available appointment (similar to when they are on vacation).

Both the OMAC and One Davol testing centers will open at their regularly scheduled times on Monday, Jan. 4, when Brown reopens after Winter Break.

With regard to personal travel during the holidays, please keep in mind that the University continues to highly discourage all non-essential personal travel to international and domestic destinations. All faculty and staff should heed the holiday safety guidance from the State of Rhode Island. Brown follows the guidelines for COVID-19 travel restrictions set forth by the Rhode Island Department of Health regarding return to Rhode Island from international and domestic travel. Individuals returning from states with a community spread rate of higher than 5% as set forth on a list maintained by RIDOH must immediately self-quarantine for 14 days or until they receive a negative COVID-19 test. Faculty and staff returning from traveling within the United States who would like to test out of the 14 day quarantine requirement can schedule a test through portal.ri.gov. Please refer to this website for any applicable exceptions, and note that Brown University COVID-19 testing locations cannot be used to test out of quarantine for personal travel.

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

I want to again thank all of you for your diligence in participating in the testing program, and also thank the many colleagues who are working hard every day to support the program for students, faculty and staff.  

Sincerely,

Russell C. Carey
Executive Vice President, Planning and Policy