Mandatory COVID Testing Paused for Most

Email highlights

• We will pause mandatory testing for those up-to-date on their vaccinations, effective July 11.
• Testing will still be required for non-vaccinated individuals engaging in on-campus activities or in-person internships, field placements, service learning or off-campus DU experiential learning.
• Testing strategy will shift to a primary focus on outbreaks on campus.

Dear DU community members,

As we continue to transition to an endemic COVID-19 response, the University will adjust COVID protocols as warranted by the conditions on campus, in the surrounding community, state and nation.

DU has required mandatory testing for everyone living, learning or working on campus because testing is one of the most effective and efficient ways to detect and manage COVID-19 outbreaks.

Because the risk of severe illness due to COVID-19 is decreasing locally, nationally and worldwide, effective July 11, 2022, the University will pause mandatory testing for those up-to-date with vaccinations per CDC guidelines. The University made this decision after consulting with medical experts at National Jewish Health (DU’s health partner since July 2020) and after reviewing scientific evidence, including data from our own spit lab, as well as COVID-19 positivity and hospitalization rates.

Mandatory testing is still required for those who are not up-to-date with their vaccination per CDC guidelines, including students, faculty, staff and other personnel engaging in any on-campus activities at DU and/or engaging in-person in internships, field placement, service learning or off-campus experiential learning as part of their DU role or program.

We will continue to monitor positivity rates and outbreaks on campus, and the University will require community members to undergo mandatory testing in the following situations:

• When notified by the DU contact tracers that they are part of a unit experiencing an outbreak, defined by the Colorado Department of Public Health as five or more confirmed or probable cases of COVID-19 in a facility or group within a 14-day period; 
• When they are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19; and/or 
• When they have been exposed and identified as a close contact of an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19.

DU community members are welcome to continue to test as needed. We recommend testing if you may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, before and after you travel, both domestically and internationally, as well as if you plan to interact in person with someone who may be immunocompromised or elderly.

Testing is available at the Pod Monday - Friday from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.; Sunday from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. 

If you have any questions please contact us at covidcoordinator@du.edu.

Sincerely,

Eric Hartman

Executive Director, Enterprise Risk Management

Therese Mashak

Public Health Project Manager, Enterprise Risk

Management