COVID-19 Screening and Testing Process
For more than two years now, COVID-19 has disrupted all our lives and ended many others. However, effective vaccines, reliable testing and masks have significantly reduced hospitalization rates in Texas while allowing more people to enjoy in-person activities once again. Thank you for helping us make our campuses safer and healthier during this time.
UTRGV’s health and safety protocols are adapting to these improved conditions. Starting Monday, May 16, 2022, UTRGV’s COVID-19 Response Team will no longer manage cases. Instead, members of the UTRGV community for managing their own screening, testing and reporting process.
This transition in our COVID-19 screening and reporting effort means the university will:
- Discontinue the Preliminary COVID-19 Screening Form.
- No longer requires students and employees to report COVID-19 symptoms, exposure, or test results to the university.
- No longer conducts contact tracing.
- No longer schedules testing.
- No longer isolate or quarantine patients.
- No longer tracks cases on campus.
All questions regarding this transition can be sent to welcomeback@utrgv.edu.
What should I do now if I tested positive for COVID, have COVID symptoms, or have been in close contact with someone with COVID?
Please be aware that there will be a difference in what we used to do and what we will do starting Monday, May 16.
Old Process: Don’t come to campus, fill out the Preliminary COVID-19 Screening Form, and wait for further direction from the COVID-19 Response Team.
New Process: Do not come to campus. Utilize the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Quarantine and Isolation Calculator to determine what to do next.
To use the Quarantine and Isolation Calculator:
- Click "Get Started" and answer the questions appearing on your screen.
- If you make a mistake, you can clear the calculator by clicking "Restart".
- Depending on your symptoms and/or vaccination status, you may not have to quarantine, isolate, or get tested.
- If your answers suggest that you get tested for COVID-19, the tool will refer you to the nearest testing-partner location based on your provided zip code.
IMPORTANT
In all scenarios, it is everyone’s responsibility to communicate with their supervisors or instructors should the situation impact their ability to fulfill work or academic duties. As always, if you are sick or feeling ill, stay home and do not come to campus!
As always, for any specific health concerns, students and employees are encouraged to contact their primary care physician or reach out to Student Health or Employee Health Services for guidance or care.
What if I want to get tested for COVID-19 (for any reason)?
There are several types of COVID-19 tests and ways you can access them:
Community-Based Testing Sites
Free or low-cost COVID-19 testing is available to everyone in the U.S., including the uninsured, at select pharmacies, retailers, and health centers nationwide. The process and locations for COVID-19 testing vary from place to place.
FREE At-Home Tests
At-home tests, or self-tests, are available for free across the country to everyone, regardless of insurance status. Every home in the U.S. is eligible to order 2 sets of 4 free at-home COVID-19 tests. Order your tests now so you have them when you need them.
If you have private insurance coverage, you can order online, to a pharmacy, or to a store to buy a test and get reimbursed through your insurance.
- If you are charged for your test, keep your receipt, and submit a claim to your insurance company for reimbursement.
- Private insurance companies are required to reimburse up to 8 tests per month per individual on an insurance plan.
If you have Medicaid coverage, you can access at-home COVID tests at no cost through the guidelines established by the state Medicaid program. State Medicaid and CHIP programs are required to cover FDA-authorized at-home COVID-19 tests.
If you have Medicare coverage, you can access testing through your health care provider or local pharmacist or pick up free at-home tests at local pick-up locations.