Covid-19 Surveillance Testing Planned for Embry-Riddle Employees and Students

As planned in Embry-Riddle’s Path Forward strategy to support the wellbeing of its campus communities amid a global health crisis, selected faculty and staff will receive diagnostic Covid-19 testing before face-to-face instruction resumes on our residential campuses on June 30.

Additional surveillance testing for employees as well as students at Embry-Riddle’s Daytona Beach, Fla., Prescott, Ariz., and Worldwide Campus headquarters locations will take place throughout the summer and fall 2020 semester.

The diagnostic tests, approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, are based on nasal and/or throat swabs (i.e., nasopharyngeal). In partnership with healthcare providers, the tests will identify anyone currently infected by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19.

For those selected who wish to work or take classes on campus, Covid-19 testing will be mandatory. These tests will be free to everyone. Please do bring your health insurance card to your appointment, but be assured that there will be no deductible.

Anyone selected for testing will receive notification regarding their appointment. In general, Embry-Riddle’s testing schedule is as follows:

• June 22 – Testing begins for faculty assigned to the Summer B session.
• June 22 – Testing begins for student-facing staff.
• June 23 – Testing begins for residential campus students.

Embry-Riddle’s testing plan is consistent with best practices across higher education and reflects exhaustive investigation of available technology. While no existing Covid-19 test is foolproof, and testing offers no guarantee of good health for everyone, this plan will allow Embry-Riddle to monitor procedures and swiftly identify and isolate confirmed Covid-19 cases as well as recent contacts.

The testing plan will be leveraged in tandem with the university’s many other health protocols – all based on U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention guidelines – from daily wellness checks and the required use of face coverings, to physical distancing both on and off campus, and rigorous hand hygiene and sanitation.

Required Covid-19 testing, along with Embry-Riddle’s Best Practices, will be essential to the success of Embry-Riddle’s Path Forward strategy for safely resuming low-density, in-person classes so as to uphold the institution’s mission of education. 

We hope that this information regarding Embry-Riddle’s required health protocols will allow each of you to make well-informed decisions, based on your individual circumstances and in consultation with loved ones, regarding your return to Embry-Riddle. While we cannot make the threat of Covid-19 disappear, Embry-Riddle is doing everything possible to mitigate health risks.

Daily Covid-19 updates are being posted to Embry-Riddle’s special informational webpage.