What You Need to Know in Fall 2020: The Facts on COVID-19 Testing

In the absence of a vaccine for COVID-19, information gathered from the widespread testing of UMD students, faculty and staff will remain one of the University of Maryland’s most valuable tools in fighting off the virus.

While all returning students were required to have pre- and post-arrival tests, and faculty and staff scheduled to physically work on campus need a negative test no more than 14 days before coming back, testing will remain a regular part of the UMD campus and  4 Maryland reopening plan.

“Transparency and testing are two key measures in our plans for the gradual reopening of campus,” said UMD President Darryll J. Pines. “It is important that we understand and track the presence of COVID-19 in our community, and we must continue to test for coronavirus in order to curb the spread.”

Here’s what you need to know for the first week back:

• Maryland Stadium will continue to host appointment and walk-in testing through Friday from 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Appointments can be scheduled at return.umd.edu, and walk-in participants must register at return.umd.edu/covid/testing beforehand.
• All students, faculty and staff are required to submit test results at return.umd.edu regardless of whether it was administered on campus or off. Any student, faculty or staff member with a prior positive test will be exempt only after emailing health@umd.edu for instructions on documentation.
• Testing events will also be held during the weeks of Sept. 14, 21 and 28 for everyone who physically visits campus.
• After Oct. 2, testing will be conducted one day every week for about 1,500 members of the campus community. More information will be forthcoming.

Those who receive a positive COVID-19 test at an off-campus testing facility must immediately call the University Health Center’s HEAL Line at 301.405.4325, which responds to messages from 7 a.m. to midnight daily. Otherwise, they can contact the After Hours Nurse Line at 877.924.7758. 

“Providing this notice is essential to allow public health officials to take the steps necessary to contain the spread of the virus,” Dr. Sacared Bodison, interim director of the University Health Center, wrote in an email to the campus community last night.

Testing resources are also available locally and can be found throughout Maryland by visiting this state directory. Here’s where to go within a three-mile radius of UMD: