Dear Student,
You are now required to receive a COVID-19 test in order to come on to campus. Please read this email completely and carefully. We describe below why that testing is required and how it will be provided to you.
Throughout the summer, University of Miami staff and faculty members have worked together with experts from UHealth and public health officials to develop the four pillars that guide our plan for a safe fall semester.
An important step in providing a safe campus environment is to reduce the risk of the virus entering our community from the beginning. Recent shifts in modeling suggest that testing all students for COVID-19—including those who reside off campus—prior to their arrival can help safeguard our campus community. Therefore, all students attending in-person classes on the Coral Gables and Marine campuses are required to test negative for COVID-19 before they are allowed to first return to campus. Students attending classes at the Miller School of Medicine will receive separate information.
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We have partnered with LabCorp to provide free at-home test kits for students. Information below will walk you through the steps to order your kit and complete your at-home test.
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Please order your test kit promptly. Students who do not receive a result prior to the start of fall classes must begin their classes using remote/virtual instruction and should inform their professors.
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Students who are under the age of 18 at the time of their order, are currently residing outside of the United States, or receive their mail to a P.O. box are unable to request a test kit from LabCorp and must make arrangements for their own PCR viral COVID-19 test.
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If you have already received a negative result since Aug. 1, upload your results to Student Health Service.
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Students who receive a positive result will receive further instructions and must remain off campus even if they do not have symptoms.
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Students who do not comply with this requirement will be unable to attend in-person classes until the University receives their negative test result.
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Students living in on-campus housing have already been informed of their pre-arrival testing requirement.
Below are instructions for ordering your at-home test kit from LabCorp.
Step 1: Order your at-home test kit Please request your at-home test kit within 24 hours of receiving this email by visiting miami.edu/student-covid-test. As you place your order, you will provide shipping information for the address where your kit will be shipped. If placing your order before 3 p.m. EDT on Monday through Thursday, the kit will ship the next day. If ordering after 3 p.m. EDT, your kit will ship two days after placing your order. Kits ordered Friday through Sunday should arrive Monday.
Step 2: Review test kit instructions The kit includes a set of instructions for collecting the sample from your nasal passage and how to return it to LabCorp for processing. Your specimen sample must be shipped to LabCorp Monday through Friday on the same day you take your test, so please review all instructions and shipping information before taking the test.
Step 3: Take the test Follow the instructions included in your kit to complete your at-home test. You must note the date and time of your test on the Specimen Confirmation Form and must return the specimen the same day it is collected. Failure to fill in the date and time of the specimen collection or return the kit on the same day will invalidate your test and require you to secure a new test at your own expense.
Step 4: Return your test to LabCorp After collecting your specimen, please return your sample in the provided package to a FedEx drop box. Your specimen must be shipped Monday through Friday and on the same day it is collected. Additionally, confirm the pickup time on the drop box so specimens do not sit overnight and become potentially invalid. Do not use a FedEx store, and do not use a FedEx drop box on a Saturday or Sunday.
After you submit your test After taking your test, please continue to monitor your health. If you develop symptoms of COVID-19 or are exposed to someone with COVID-19 between the time of your test and your arrival, you must not come to campus and are encouraged to consult Student Health Service. We are asking students to limit their activities and self-quarantine for up to 14 days prior to their arrival to campus.
Step 5: Review your results You will receive an email from LabCorp once your results are ready with instructions on how to view your results. Additionally, the University will receive a copy of your results and will notify students once they are cleared to return to campus. In addition to consulting CDC guidelines for self-isolation and seeking care, students with a positive result will receive further instructions and must stay off campus even if they do not have symptoms.
Additional information
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Visit coronavirus.miami.edu for answers to frequently asked questions regarding this testing requirement as well as for the latest information about the University’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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For non-medical questions related to ordering your test kit or about the COVID-19 testing requirement, please contact covid-testing@miami.edu or 305-243-2683.
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Contact your academic advisor if you have questions about accessing your classes via remote/virtual instruction.
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