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Syracuse University on Thursday released updated testing and quarantine guidelines for students returning to campus ahead of the spring semester. 

Here’s a breakdown of how to get tested and what to expect in quarantine: 

Testing

Two testing options are available for students from New York or any of the states that border it. They can receive a COVID-19 test in their local community and provide SU with the result prior to returning or they can request an at-home test to administer themselves. The university is partnering with the same at-home testing company, LetsGetChecked.com, that it used in the fall semester.

Students from any other state or an international location must receive a COVID-19 test within a three-day window prior to arriving in New York. These students are required to receive a test in their local community and cannot request an at-home test from SU. The university advises students to get tested early in the morning, three days before their planned arrival to New York state. 

Students from New York or the states that border it who have tested positive for COVID-19 within 90 days of their arrival can submit their positive test to satisfy the pre-arrival testing requirement. Students from all other locations cannot. 

Quarantine

Students arriving to Syracuse from New York or any of the states that border it are exempt from the New York’s travel advisory and will not have to quarantine. Those from all other states and international locations will have to quarantine. 

Students living on campus will be required to quarantine for three days. On the fourth day, they will be tested again and can leave quarantine if they receive a negative result. Students will be restricted to their residence halls during the quarantine but will be allowed outside for exercise and for grab-and-go food service. 

A three-day quarantine will also be required for students living off campus who aren’t from states bordering New York. They will be tested again on the fourth day, when they can leave quarantine if their test comes back negative. Students will not have access to campus facilities while quarantining. 

Students may still fill out an application form to request emergency funding from SU to cover expenses related to COVID-19. The university had about $189,000 left in federal CARES Act funding as of Dec. 31.

Published on January 14, 2021 at 6:07 pm

Contact Michael: msessa@syr.edu | @MichaelSessa3