Dear Temple students, 

As we continue to live with the pandemic—and as vaccine availability increases and more people are becoming fully vaccinated—I wanted to share with you updates to Temple’s testing plan for the 2021 summer sessions. Below you will find details about who will need to be tested for COVID-19 and when and where to get those tests. Once you are fully vaccinated, you will not be required to participate in the university’s surveillance testing program. Each person who gets vaccinated is taking an important step in helping all of us return to a more normal life. Learn more about COVID-19 vaccine availability in Pennsylvania.  

COVID-19 TESTING GROUPS
You will be assigned to one of four testing groups for the summer, which will determine the frequency and location of your tests, based on the amount of time you are expected to spend on or in proximity to campus and whether or not you’ve been fully vaccinated. 

GROUP ONE: Not tested
This group includes

• Students who are fully vaccinated, have no symptoms of COVID-19 and have completed the immunization notification process on the Patient Health Portal.
• Students engaging in virtual learning, using only online resources and not coming to campus. 

Those in Group One will only be tested if they are symptomatic or identified as a close contact.

GROUP TWO: Mandatory testing twice weekly
This group includes

• students who are not fully vaccinated and
• live in on-campus housing.
• take in-person courses that meet two or more times per week.
• live in the surrounding six ZIP codes (19121, 19122, 19123, 19130, 19132, and 19133) and are taking in-person courses that meet at least one time per week.
• students workers who are not fully vaccinated and are in roles that require work in campus facilities for two days or more per week.
• students who are not fully vaccinated and are coming to campus more than once per week.

Those in Group Two should schedule their testing appointments for Mondays and Wednesdays or Tuesdays and Thursdays. Tests should always be scheduled at least a day apart, when scheduling allows. Tests on back-to-back days are not recommended. 

GROUP THREE: Mandatory testing once weekly 
This group includes

• students who are not fully vaccinated and
• live outside of the six ZIP code range and take in-person courses at least once per week. 
• student workers in roles that require work in campus facilities fewer than two days per week.
• students who are not fully vaccinated and come to campus occasionally.

Those in Group Three are to schedule their once-weekly tests on Wednesdays, if possible.

GROUP FOUR: Optional testing 
This group includes students who

• live off campus in the six ZIP code range surrounding Temple and are taking a fully remote course load.
• come to campus regularly only to use facilities and services.
• are enrolled in the Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Kornberg School of Dentistry, School of Pharmacy, School of Podiatric Medicine and the College of Public Health. These schools will provide information on required testing to students in clinical rotations.

Those in Group Four may book their appointments for days that work best with their schedules, although Wednesday appointments are recommended, except for testing at the School of Podiatric Medicine, where Tuesday appointments are recommended. 

SCHEDULING YOUR TESTS
Appointments are required for all tests—walk-in appointments are not available. This is to help keep you safe by avoiding lines or crowding at the testing sites. Use the Patient Health Portal to schedule your appointments. If you have difficulty scheduling your appointment for any reason, please email shs@temple.edu for assistance. 

MAIN CAMPUS TESTING SITES
Students on Main Campus will be able to schedule their appointments at the testing site at the Great Court in Mitten Hall. This site will be open Monday through Thursday, from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. 

OTHER CAMPUS TESTING SITES
Health Sciences Center

• School of Pharmacy 
  • Pharmacy Room 230 
  • Hours: Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• School of Podiatric Medicine 
  • Podiatry Residence Hall Room 126
  • Hours: Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, 8 a.m to 3 p.m.

ADMINISTERING TESTS
Though the testing sites will be staffed, tests are self-administered. This means you will be given a test kit, which includes a test tube and nasal swab, and will follow step-by-step instructions to complete the test yourself. Watch a video to learn what’s expected. 

TEST RESULTS
Test results will be available between 12 and 36 hours after your test. Negative test results will be texted or emailed. You can opt in to receive text messages from Student Health Services by visiting the Forms section of the Patient Health Portal. Those who receive a positive test result will get a call from a Health Services staff member, who will provide you with information about what you should do next. You can also download a PDF of your test results from the Lab Results tab in the Patient Health Portal. 

Be sure to update your contact information in TUportal to ensure we have your current phone number and address on file. You can do this by logging in to TUportal, clicking Manage My Account in the upper right corner, and selecting Manage Addresses and Phones. 

SYMPTOMATIC AND CLOSE CONTACT TESTING
The testing center at Morgan Hall on Main Campus will continue to test those who have COVID-19 symptoms or have been identified by contact tracers as a close contact of someone who tested positive. Schedule online by selecting "MORGAN HALL" or call 215-204-7500 prompt 2.

COVID-19 VACCINES
Although we will continue the COVID-19 testing program for the summer session, everyone within the Temple community is urged to become fully vaccinated. The COVID-19 vaccines have been shown to significantly decrease the chance that you will contract the disease and are effective at preventing hospitalization and death among those who do contract COVID-19. Becoming vaccinated also decreases the likelihood of spreading the virus to those around you, including your family, friends, colleagues and students. 

Once you are fully vaccinated, be sure to upload a record of your vaccine card to the Patient Health Portal, using the Uploads tab. From there, select COVID-19 Vaccine Record from the dropdown menu and upload your file. Please note, uploading your card is required to be considered fully vaccinated by the university. 

As a reminder, the four public health pillars—wearing a mask, washing your hands, keeping a physical distance and monitoring your health—along with getting a COVID-19 vaccine remain the best ways to prevent yourself and the broader Temple community from contracting the virus. Keep practicing these behaviors so we can be together. 

Sincerely,

Mark Denys
Senior Director, Health Services