Eligibility
Faculty and staff who are on campus at least two days per week will be required to get tested weekly. Once a faculty or staff member joins the testing program, they will be expected to continue getting tested weekly throughout the spring semester.
Testing procedure
The College testing process will use a minimally invasive swab of the lower nasal cavity (just inside your nostril). You’ll be asked to self-administer the swab in the presence of trained observers, who will collect your sample for testing by LVHN in partnership with Health Network Labs. Our partners have assured us of the priority to attempt a return of the results in 24 to 48 hours. This is our expected turnaround time, but conditions in the Lehigh Valley could impact this. You are not expected to quarantine while awaiting results from monitoring tests.
Scheduling
Throughout the semester, an online portal and app will be used for scheduling. Instructions will be available for students and employees before the start of the semester. The weekly testing schedule will generally have similar daily times Monday through Friday but will be subject to potential changes that will be announced in advance. All testing will be done by appointment only. While the majority of employees will use the LVHN app to schedule their weekly test, some groups of employees will have weekly time slots assigned to them by their supervisor to accommodate shift work. All hourly employees will be paid during their testing time.
Location
All testing will take place in the Wilson Room of Pfenning Alumni Center. An all-weather structure will be set up outside on the patio space between the doors to the Wilson Room and Fisher Stadium. This will be the entrance to the testing area. Please follow the signs to assist in optimizing traffic flow throughout the testing process.
What to know before you go
- You will need to bring an acceptable form of ID to the testing site (College ID, driver’s license, passport, REAL-ID) as you cannot be tested without it.
- Prior to the test, you must blow your nose as solid matter will interfere with the test’s accuracy. Tissues will be provided at the entrance of the testing site. If you have not blown your nose right before coming to the testing site, you will be asked to step aside and blow your nose.
- Employees who are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 need to contact their primary care provider, and students need to call Bailey Health Center. If you have symptoms of COVID-19, you should not report to the testing area.
- If you have had a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, you are still required to be tested weekly. The College is evaluating the testing policy for those who have had both doses of the vaccine. Please email together@lafayette.edu if you have questions.
If you test positive, these are the steps to follow:
- You’ll be notified by a health care professional and instructed to contact your primary health care provider, who’ll be responsible for your care.
- Notification also will be sent to the Office of Human Resources and other administrators who need the data to ensure you are paid appropriately and to support COVID-19 mitigation efforts on campus and in our community.
- A member of the College’s internal contact tracing team will contact you, and you’ll be expected to participate fully in tracing efforts. Our team will collaborate with the Pennsylvania Department of Health for contact tracing external to the College.
- Do not come to campus until you have been cleared by your physician and by the College to return.
- Faculty members who are asymptomatic or only mildly ill may be able to continue teaching remotely. If you are unable to teach for medical reasons, please contact your department or program chair about class coverage. (While you are always required to notify the College that you cannot come to work, you are not required to share your diagnosis. However, promptly notifying Bailey Health Center, if working on campus, and/or your healthcare provider, if working remotely, that you have tested positive for COVID-19 allows contact tracing to be conducted for the safety of the College community.)
- You can only return to work once you have completed isolation requirements and been cleared. Once you return to work, you do not have to report for weekly testing 90 days after your positive test.
- Staff and faculty without symptoms are expected to remain off campus for a minimum of 10 days after the date of the positive result. If your physician finds that your illness requires a more extensive medical treatment and leave, provide documentation to Human Resources. You will be required to provide a medical clearance to Human Resources in order to return to work. To coordinate your return to work plan contact please review this diagram.
If you’re uncertain about your testing status or have questions, email together@lafayette.edu and a member of the College’s COVID-19 Operational Implementation Group will reach out to you.