Dear Students, 

We’d like to thank you for your continued flexibility during this time. As you know, we performed arrival testing for all students. To date, we’ve conducted 1,654 tests and received five positive results, which equates to a very low positivity rate of 0.3%. That is truly good news. At the same time, we continue to adjust our health and safety protocols based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and medical and public health experts, including our infectious disease consultant. Based on that guidance, and with the latest increase in the prevalence of the Delta variant in our county, we are updating our student testing protocols: We will now require regular testing for all students, regardless of vaccination status.

We appreciate the burden this places on you, but we believe this additional measure is an important step in fulfilling our commitment to prioritizing the health and safety of our campus community. Our intent is for this to be a temporary measure; once transmission rates drop in our area, we will reevaluate our testing protocols.

The following changes are effective Tuesday, Sept. 7. You should follow the plan outlined below; the previous testing plan is no longer in effect. The only exception to the testing schedule outlined below is if you have had a documented COVID-19 infection in the last 90 days and have provided that documentation to the Student Health Center.

Students who are partially vaccinated or unvaccinated:

You will test weekly with GENETWORx. Testing will begin on Tuesday, Sept. 7 and then shift to Mondays. Testing will take place in Bond Hall between 8 a.m and 5 p.m. by appointment only.     

• Testing Location:  Bond Hall between 8 a.m and 5 p.m. by appointment only. Set up your appointments by following the instructions detailed below.    

• First weekly test: Tuesday, Sept. 7

• Regular testing schedule:  You will test on the following Mondays: Sept. 13, Sept. 20, Sept. 27, Oct. 4, Oct. 11, Oct. 18, Oct. 25, Nov. 1, and Nov. 8, and then each subsequent Monday until further notice.

Students who are fully vaccinated:

You will test every other week with GENETWORx. Testing will take place in Bond Hall between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. by appointment only. Testing schedules will vary depending on your last name, as outlined below. 

• Testing Location: Bond Hall between 8 a.m and 5 p.m. by appointment only. Set up your appointments by following the instructions detailed below. 

• Testing Schedule for students whose last name begins with A-L:  You will test first on Tuesday, Sept. 7 and then on the following Mondays: Sept. 20, Oct. 4, Oct. 18, Nov. 1, and every other Monday onward until further notice. 

• Testing Schedule for students whose last name begins with M-Z: You will test on the following Mondays: Sept. 13, Sept. 27, Oct. 11, Oct. 25, Nov. 8, and every other Monday onward until further notice.

Scheduling Your Required Weekly Testing Appointments

If you are 17 years old or older, you will be able to test with GENETWORx. You will be required to have parental consent signed annually until you turn 18.

If you do not already have a GENETWORx Aura account, create one by visiting this registration page. Once you have set up an account, take the following steps to schedule your appointment that week:

1. Click on the Menu button at the top right side of your screen.

2. Choose the Schedule option.

3. For location, choose Swarthmore College and schedule an appointment time for the appropriate day — be mindful of scheduling your appointments on the days that correspond to your vaccination status, as detailed above.

4. Please note: When you arrive for your appointment, you must be prepared to log in to Aura and bring up your appointment QR code on your phone or other device. The QR code is found by choosing the Scan option from the menu. (Please do not worry if it says “not compliant” and is red).  

We strongly suggest creating a calendar reminder on your phone to help remember your required appointments. If you are having any difficulties with your Aura account, please contact our GENETWORx Site Manager Josh Zegel at jzegel@genetworx.com. 

We thank you for your continued support and effort in keeping our community as healthy as possible. Our ability to provide an in-person campus experience relies heavily on your continued commitment to our health protocols. Testing, along with masking, hand hygiene, physical distancing, and adherence to recommended mitigation efforts are a personal responsibility and one that you have continued to make a priority; we thank you for that. We will continue to keep you updated on any adjustments to the student testing plan. If you have any questions, please email canders4@swarthmore.edu.

Sincerely, 
Casey Anderson, CRNP
Director, Student Health & Wellness Services

Mary Reilly, CRNP
Assistant Director, Student Health & Wellness Services