Dear Kent State University Students,
On Jan. 5, you received an email asking you to get tested for COVID-19 before you came back to campus by ordering an at-home test from Vault.
Many of you ordered and took your tests, and we thank you for doing your part to ensure a safe start to the spring semester.
For those of you who did not order a test kit or those who did not receive your test kit in time, we ask that you get tested on the Kent Campus as soon as possible after your arrival.
Testing is available Monday, Jan. 17, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Eastway Center Lounge. This testing is performed by Visit Healthcare at no cost. Your results will be returned to you after 5 p.m. the day after your test.
If you have tested positive for COVID-19 within the last 90 days and you are not currently having any symptoms of the virus, you do not have to perform this test. However, you must email a copy of your positive test result to covid@kent.edu. If it has been less than 10 days since your positive test, you should continue isolating at home and return to campus after this isolation period is over.
If you test positive for COVID-19 upon your return, it is your responsibility to make a plan for your isolation. We highly recommend you return home for isolation and rest. For those who cannot return home, the university will coordinate with you to determine a viable plan for your isolation on campus. We follow the guidance and recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Ohio Department of Health, as interpreted by the Kent City Health Department.
On days 1 to 5 after testing positive, you must stay in isolation. On day 6, a student may leave isolation if meeting the CDC criteria of being asymptomatic or having symptoms that are lessening and improving but must wear a well-fitting mask at all times.
For this reason, on days 6 through 10, residence hall students must return to their isolation room to sleep and eat, as it is not possible to wear a mask during these activities and you cannot dine or sleep around others while still infected.
For those with in-person courses, please contact your instructors to explain your situation and determine how to proceed with making up your class absence.
Please continue to follow the Flashes Safe Eight safety protocols. All residence hall students are being provided new masks.
At this time of high transmission, it is particularly important to adhere to university protocols by wearing a face mask and wearing it properly. Make sure that your mask is always tightly fitted across your face and nose and completely covers your mouth to best prevent transmission of the virus.
As COVID-19 is still with us, we need everyone to cooperate so that we can continue our in-person experience this semester, ensure that our campus remains safe and keep our university community healthy.
Sincerely,
Lisa Dannemiller, M.D.
Chief University Physician
Interim Director, University Health Services