Entrance Testing Added to Meredith COVID-19 Prevention Strategy

Meredith College is adding entrance testing to its COVID-19 prevention strategy for the Spring 2021 semester.

All employees and students are required to provide notice of negative COVID PCR test results before they are approved to return to campus in 2021 following the holiday break.

Implementing new strategies such as entrance testing will be essential to detecting and limiting the spread of COVID-19 among members of the campus community.

Why is this testing required?
Our entrance testing plan for the Spring 2021 semester is guided by state and federal recommendations, the scientific and clinical expertise of healthcare providers and higher education organizations, and valuable lessons learned during this ongoing pandemic. According to the National Institute for Health (NIH), testing is one of the best strategies for interrupting the spread of COVID-19, as it helps identify asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic individuals and alert them to the need to isolate before unknowingly spreading the virus to others.

“As we return to campus, we want to have as much assurance and confidence as possible that we all return in good health,” President Jo Allen wrote in a campus message about the testing requirement.  “We have seen increasing upticks in cases at the end of the fall semester and are concerned that the extended winter break may have created opportunities for more exposure.”

Meredith’s COVID-19 recommendations and mandates are based on the best evidence and advice available to create a safe campus community.

Where to Complete Testing
Students and employees may test at a site of their choosing. Testing costs are paid at 100% by Blue Cross Blue Shield North Carolina, CIGNA, and most other insurance carriers. There are also many free testing sites available where tests are administered without any out-of-pocket costs. A list of currently available North Carolina State Testing Locations can be found on the NC DHHS website.

Students from outside of North Carolina who need assistance locating a testing site can contact healthcenter@meredith.edu before December 18, 2020, or after January 4, 2021.

Where to Submit Results
Employees can submit results by email to hr@meredith.edu. Employees can also opt to submit test results at https://cvdsubmit.meredith.edu using their Meredith NetID. (Private employee information is treated with great care, but the system created by Technology Services may offer additional security in the transmission of information.)

Students will use the electronic submission system developed by Technology Services to submit their test results. Students should submit test results at https://cvdsubmit.meredith.edu using their Meredith NetID.

Please allow 24 business hours after you submit your negative test result for your clearance to return to campus to be processed.

Please note that all test results need to be submitted, whether positive or negative. Those who report negative test results will be given clearance to return to campus. Please do not return to campus if your COVID-19 test is positive. Employees should contact HR for guidance. Students should contact Student Health at healthcenter@meredith.edu or 919-760-8535.

To protect your own privacy, please do not submit notices of test results directly to your supervisors, professors, or other campus personnel.

The entrance testing requirement is in addition to all of the protections Meredith College employees and students have followed this academic year, including daily screening through CampusClear and contact tracing.

Visit meredith.edu/staying-strong for more details.