September 4 - COVID-19 Testing Announced for SU Students, Faculty and Staff September 7-9

Members of the Campus Community,

Salisbury University will join other University System of Maryland campuses in testing all faculty, staff and students for COVID-19 during the week of Labor Day. This effort is part of the campus’ ongoing testing, which follows the completion of pre-semester baseline testing.

Campus community members will receive an assigned time for their test via their SU email accounts. All tests will be conducted at the former Court Plaza shopping center, 1506 S. Salisbury Blvd., between Monday, September 7, and Wednesday, September 9. Faculty are asked to take students’ assigned testing times into consideration when factoring class attendance.

Those unable to make their appointment will no longer be cleared to attend classes in person after Friday, September 11, until they are able to be tested during one of SU’s regularly scheduled testing dates, Tuesdays and Fridays in September, and receive negative test results. (Please note: Those tested on campus since 9 a.m. Friday, September 4; those who have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 90 days and those who do not plan to be on campus at all this semester are exempt from this mandatory testing.)

For more information on testing dates beyond September 9, or to schedule an appointment outside of your assigned time, please visit the SU COVID-19 Testing Information page.

As of the end of the first week of classes, SU’s COVID-19 key indicators remain below critical levels established by the State of Maryland and Wicomico County Health Department. However, a small sample of tests conducted in the past week revealed an unexpectedly high percentage of positive results, with 10 out of 245 SU community members in that group testing positive for the virus. This mandatory testing will determine whether those results represented a certain cluster of the campus population or whether they are indicative of a larger positivity rate, still within State guidelines. This data is an important tool in SU’s efforts to keep the campus open this semester.

Out of an abundance of caution, campus athletic and recreational facilities, including Maggs Physical Activities Center, the University Fitness Club, Indoor Tennis Center, tennis courts and intramural fields, will be closed until further notice. Students, faculty and staff are asked to continue practicing safe physical distancing, wearing face masks as appropriate in all campus buildings (and outdoors when safe physical distancing is not possible), and washing their hands frequently (or using hand sanitizer if soap and water are unavailable).

As always, please send any questions you may have to StayInformed@salisbury.edu and continue to visit the SU COVID-19 webpage for the most up-to-date information. Thank you for continuing to #ProtectTheFlock.