Coronavirus Testing for Students and Employees Who Will NOT Be On Campus

Tuesday, September 01, 2020

Colleagues,

According to the records we have, you will be able to continue to work or study remotely this semester. 

I expect that you have heard about UTEP’s Coronavirus Proactive Testing Program for students and employees who plan to be on campus during the fall semester. This program is for employees and students who have to be on campus and who don’t have any symptoms. 

I’ve been asked whether people who are working or studying remotely can come to campus to get tested. We have limited capacity in the lab, and, while the tests are free to students and employees, they are not free to the University.

Even if you are not on campus this fall, you can get tested.

In addition to washing your hands, wearing a face covering and remaining six feet apart, UTEP also encourages students, faculty and staff who are taking all online courses or working remotely all semester to take advantage of the free coronavirus testing available in the community.

Testing is available at any of the city and state sites listed at epstrong.org/testing.php.

Most sites offer free testing with or without symptoms. 

Even if you are not exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms, you may be asymptomatic and not know you have the virus. That’s particularly true for healthy people in the 18- to 24-year-old age range.

If you are experiencing symptoms or feeling ill, we encourage you to get tested at a community site and report a positive result to UTEP at covidaction@utep.edu.

If you are sick, stay home and do not come to campus.

Since the start of school, UTEP has done over 4,000 tests on our campus. We have found 23 people who were sick and didn’t know it. That’s a very small “positivity” rate compared to the community around us. It is also 23 people who can now take precautions and stay home until they are better.

By being proactive about our health and the health of those around us, we aim to protect our students, employees and their families from infection in the community.

I encourage you to go to epstrong.org/testing.php and arrange to get tested. It could help to suppress the disease in our community.

I look forward to seeing you back on campus when this is over.

Warm Regards,
Heather Wilson