March 23, 2023

To: Members of the University Community

From: Katie Callow-Wright, Executive Vice President of the University

Subject: COVID-19 Updates

Date: March 23, 2023

As part of our evolving response to COVID-19, the University is taking steps that reflect the growing integration of COVID-19 testing and care into regular healthcare services. The changes described in this message will take effect as of Monday, April 3. Note that employees in a healthcare / patient-facing environment may be subject to separate guidelines.

• As of April 3, the University will no longer provide routine surveillance testing for COVID-19. COVID-19 testing is widely available to people with symptoms, through their healthcare providers, pharmacies, and other testing centers. Please visit the UChicago Forward website for information on symptomatic testing options.
• People who believe they may have been exposed to COVID-19 or who have tested positive for COVID-19 should follow the precautions recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The University will rely on these guidelines and is discontinuing the previous customized exposure protocols. Please note that anyone with symptoms of respiratory illness should get tested and wear a mask around others until the symptoms are gone.
• Those who test positive for COVID-19 must stay at home or in their residence hall and follow CDC guidance. People with COVID-19 are no longer required to report their cases to C19HealthReport@uchicago.edu. Accordingly, we are suspending University-wide use of contact tracing for COVID-19, as well as the weekly dashboard that has tracked COVID-19 data on campus.
• Current housing arrangements will continue for students living in on-campus residence halls, including isolation-in-place for students with COVID-19 and availability of temporary alternate housing for roommates who test negative.

These steps are consistent with the relatively low levels of cases we have seen this academic year, along with steady decreases in our community’s use of many COVID-19 resources, including asymptomatic testing. In addition, the federal government has stated its intent to end the national public health emergency declarations for COVID-19 in May. The University will continue to monitor disease trends through UChicago Student Wellness, UChicago Medicine, and with partners at the Chicago Department of Public Health. We will remain prepared to take additional measures if necessary.

Thank you for your continuing cooperation and help in limiting the spread and impact of COVID-19.