Important Instructions for Pre-Arrival and Prevalence Testing

As a student who is not fully vaccinated for COVID-19, you are required to submit proof of a negative COVID test prior to your presence on Grounds. Information about this requirement was included in the exemption form, and you acknowledged this requirement when you submitted the form to the Department of Student Health and Wellness (SHW).

Once your UVA courses or program begins, you also are required to participate in prevalence testing at least once every seven (7) days. Failure to do so will result in consequences ranging from a warning up to interim suspension. More information is below.

Please follow these instructions:

Pre-Arrival Testing

• All tests must be a COVID-19 PCR test collected within seven (7) days prior to the start of your academic program.
• If you also plan to live or work on Grounds, this test must be collected within seven (7) days prior to move-in or beginning your work duties.
• Please take extra precautions to minimize your exposure prior to submitting your test and returning to Charlottesville.
• If you are already living, learning or working on Grounds due to a continuing or early start program, you should already be testing weekly through UVA’s BeSafe locations. You are subject to the consequences noted below if more than seven (7) days lapse between testing dates.
• Tests may be obtained at any COVID-19 testing site offering PCR testing (e.g., CVS, Walgreens, Med Express). If you are in or near the Charlottesville area, you may visit any of UVA’s BeSafe testing locations. BeSafe is free to UVA students, faculty, and staff. More information on locations and hours is available on the website.
• If you use a provider other than BeSafe, you must upload your test result to the HealthyHoos patient portal. When you use BeSafe, test results are automatically uploaded for you.
  • If your result is negative, you are cleared to begin living, learning, and working on Grounds.
  • If your result is positive, please self-isolate and contact SHW for further advice.

Ongoing Prevalence Testing

• You must participate in prevalence testing at least once every seven (7) days.
• You must test via UVA’s BeSafe program, which offers convenient locations and hours for testing at no cost to students, faculty, and staff. Results will be uploaded automatically to your HealthyHoos patient portal. 
• If your test is positive, you will be notified by an SHW provider; you should self-isolate until you are contacted with further instructions.
• Please schedule your future BeSafe testing appointments now for the fall semester by going to the website.
• If you are not in the Charlottesville area when you are due to test, you will be responsible for obtaining a PCR test from another provider and uploading the result to HealthyHoos.
• Consequences for not complying with this requirement are cumulative and increase in severity. For every seven-day interval missed, consequences are:
  • First: Warning
  • Second: Notification to your school
  • Third: Loss of access to University-protected networks and University resources until testing is completed
  • Fourth: University discipline, including interim suspension
• PLEASE NOTE that COVID-19 testing at SHW is reserved for symptomatic students.

COVID-19 Vaccine & Allergy Concerns 
If you are considering getting the vaccine, but have concerns about allergies, please review this PDF. You may make an appointment with one of the Medical Services providers at SHW if you would like to discuss or review in more detail.

If you have questions, please contact UVA’s Coronavirus call center at [email protected] or 833-454-6902 (domestic) or +1-202-800-2408 (international).

Thank you for your prompt attention to this required public health measure.

Sincerely,

Julie I. Caruccio
Interim University Dean of Students