To Our Faculty and Staff:
Today we write to provide additional information regarding Case Western Reserve’s response to last week’s stay-at-home advisory from Cuyahoga County and Cleveland. As Interim President Cowen and Provost Vinson wrote Thursday, all faculty and staff who can work from home from Monday, Nov. 30, through Thursday, Dec. 17, are asked to do so.
People whose duties require their presence on campus—whether briefly or throughout those weeks—must participate in COVID-19 testing each week that they are on campus. Employees do not need to wait for a negative test result before returning to campus, nor do they have to use the university’s site (tests are available at some local pharmacies and other sites in Northeast Ohio).
The goal of these measures is to reduce transmission risk for everyone on campus during this time, including our approximately 300 students staying in university housing.
Below is additional information regarding the testing process; for more details, please visit our testing webpage and our FAQs.
- Schedule an Appointment or Walk In: Starting Nov. 30, the testing center will operate from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. You can schedule an appointment through myhealthconnect.case.edu, or walk in at least 20 minutes before the center closes.
- Park in the Veale Center Garage: If you are coming to campus to be tested, you can park for free in the Veale Center Garage (immediately east of Veale); you simply need to advise the individual at the gate that you parked there to be able to comply with the university’s directive of weekly tests.
- Do Not Eat, Drink, Smoke or Vape for at Least 30 Minutes Before Testing: Because this test analyzes saliva, it is important to avoid tainting the sample with any external substances. That said, it is helpful to hydrate well prior to the half hour before testing.
Faculty and staff who have had a positive PCR test for COVID-19 do not need to be re-tested for three months after the test that had a positive result was performed.
Also, please do not come to the testing site if you have any COVID-19 symptoms or are currently in isolation or quarantine as directed by University Health Services or a public health department. If you are not feeling well, you should avoid interacting with others and contact University Health Services at 216.368.2450.
Thank you in advance for these efforts to protect your own health and well-being along with that of the broader campus community.
Sara Lee, MD
Executive Director of University Health and Counseling Services
Carolyn Gregory
Vice President for Human Resources