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Office of Campus Life American University

November 18, 2021

Dear AU Community,

As you prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday, we want to make sure you know the schedule for COVID-19 testing, so that those of you who will be traveling can plan for testing.

There will be no on-campus testing on Wednesday, Nov. 24 or during Thanksgiving break. Please plan accordingly. Testing is available on Monday, Nov. 22 and Tuesday, Nov. 23.

Testing will resume on Monday, November 29, with new extended hours (8 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday-Friday) on East campus.

Please check the full updated schedule on the Student Health Center’s COVID-19 Testing Schedule and Information page. As always, it lists hours and days for all sites (Constitution Hall on East campus, Washington College of Law, and 4401 Connecticut Ave.).

You have already received information by email about AU’s travel guidelines. As a reminder, students, faculty, and staff who will travel are advised to do the following for the health and safety of our community, as well as friends and loved ones you may be visiting:

Before traveling outside the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area:

  • Get a COVID-19 test 1-3 days before you depart.
  • Remember: Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 , and cannot travel!

After returning from travel:

  • If you are vaccinated: Get tested 3-5 days after your return.
  • If you are NOT vaccinated:You must quarantine for 7 days upon your return from travel outside the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area. While quarantining, you will only be able to leave your residence to get necessities or attend medical appointments. You must also take a test 3-5 days after returning. Students with exemptions received an additional communication with additional information on requirements. Faculty have been advised on working with students who must quarantine.

Please remember to mask on planes, buses, and other forms of public transportation and wear a mask in crowded settings. Remember, as well, that at AU, we are maintaining our current masking requirements, as they are an important component of our comprehensive health and safety measures. Our combination of testing, vaccine requirement, contact tracing, and masking has directly contributed to low COVID cases throughout the semester and single-digit numbers of COVID cases in our community over the past weeks.

As we head into the holiday season, with increased travel and gatherings, it is likely that overall case numbers nationally and in the DC area will rise. We want to ensure our community remains as safe as possible. The surveillance testing we provide helps support that effort.

Thank you for testing before and after travel, and for following our travel guidelines. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Division of Student Affairs