Stanford will provide two free rapid antigen test kits to all undergraduate students starting Tuesday in preparation for spring break and the start of spring quarter, Senior Associate Vice Provost and Dean of Students Mona Hicks and Associate Vice Provost and Executive Director of Vaden Health Services Dr. Jim Jacobs announced in a Monday email to undergraduates.
This announcement comes three weeks ahead of spring break, when many students will be traveling off campus.
The first day students can pick up tests depends on their assigned neighborhood. Students in neighborhoods S and A can pick up kits starting Tuesday, neighborhoods T and F starting Wednesday, neighborhoods D and O starting Thursday and neighborhoods N and R starting Friday, according to the email. Undergraduates living off campus or in graduate housing can also pick up their kits starting Friday. The staggering of start dates by neighborhood is intended to “keep lines short and swift,” Hicks and Jacobs wrote.
The tests will be available for pick up at Arrillaga Family Dining Commons between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., Arrillaga Outdoor Education and Recreation Center between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. and Escondido Village Graduate Residences (EVGR) Building B between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Students must bring their Stanford ID and cell phone in order to scan a QR code to verify their eligibility, according to Hicks and Jacobs. For students without cell phones, a staff member will manually check their records to verify their eligibility, the two added.
After picking up their two rapid testing kits, students will not be able to pick up additional kits until April 1, according to the email.
Students traveling during spring break must test negative using a rapid test prior to returning to campus, according to Hicks and Jacobs. Those who test positive are instructed to isolate in place for ten days before traveling and to send a copy of positive test results to the COVID Medical Care Team. Upon arrival to campus, students are required to complete two Color COVID-19 tests during the first week after their return and can then resume regular testing requirements as determined by their vaccine status.
Students who are not traveling during spring break are required to continue testing once a week if fully vaccinated and boosted and twice a week otherwise, according to the email.
Based on the current status of the pandemic, Stanford still plans to suspend its weekly testing requirement for vaccinated and boosted students starting April 10, according to Hicks and Jacobs. However, the two added that the University strongly recommends students test whenever they are experiencing symptoms or whenever they are concerned about possible exposure.