Starting October 3, all testing will now be done through Color, a new platform that will allow for self-facilitated testing and greater flexibility.

In an email sent to students and faculty Thursday afternoon, Barnard announced updates to their COVID-19 testing protocols, including the new Color platform, drop-off testing procedures, and self-facilitated testing. The full text of the email can be found below.

Starting Monday, October 3, students and faculty will now be able to retrieve, activate, administer, and drop off their COVID-19 tests at a drop-off location in Milbank Hall. This change was made in conjunction with Barnard’s transition to Color, a new testing platform that will make testing completely self-facilitated. Information about creating Color accounts can be found in the email below and on this mini-site.

To aid the transition process, the testing center in LeFrak will be closed today, September 30. 

Though changes have been made, some COVID-19 testing protocols will remain the same. Testing will still be required bi-weekly (once every two weeks) for residential students and once a month for faculty and other community members. CoVerified will also continue to be used to communicate test results and time-sensitive updates to the testing procedures, as well as for uploading non-College tests.

All questions should be directed to Barnard’s Public Health Response Team via phrt@barnard.edu.

Email sent to the Barnard community on Thursday, September 29 at 4:39 pm:

Dear Barnard Community,

We hope that you’ve had a smooth transition into the Fall term.

We have three important updates to share.

  1. The Covid-19 testing center in Barnard Hall is closing tomorrow (Friday, September 30) at 1 p.m. as we transition to our new testing platform, Color. More information about creating your Color account and specific instructions on the process can be found here on our mini-site.
  2. Drop-off testing using Color will commence on Monday, October 3, in our new location on the first floor of Milbank Hall outside of Suite 115.
  3. If you have not already done so, create your Color account (using your Barnard-affiliated email address) through this link.

Following are several important first steps and reminders about our new testing procedures and policies. Please read the entire email to be certain you have all of the updates:

New Drop-Off Testing Site – Milbank Hall

Beginning this Monday, October 3, you will be able to retrieve, activate, administer, and drop off your test at the dropbox location at Milbank Hall (to the right of Milbank 115). We are confident that this new model, with far more hours of availability, will be an important accommodation to allow for greater flexibility in testing for our community.

The testing center dropoff site is open from Sundays at 8 a.m. through Fridays at 1 p.m.

Creating your Color Account

If you have not already done so, please be sure to create your Color account (using your Barnard-affiliated email address) through this link. Note that you will need to use DUO authentication and will need the device(s) that you are registered with to prompt sign-on.

As testing going forward will be completely self-facilitated, we highly encourage anyone who has not tested with us since our transition to Color on Monday, September 19 to stop by our temporary “helping hours” for any inquiries, including help with account creation. Our coordinators will be available at our new testing site in Milbank Hall (details below) from noon to 4 p.m. on weekdays, Monday, October 3 through Friday, October 14.

Results Reporting and Testing Compliance

Note that it is important to check your Barnard affiliated email address in the days following your test. Notification of those results, as well as instructions for isolating with COVID-19 if needed, will be sent there.  

  1. We will continue to use the CoVerified app to communicate Color test results, accept non-Barnard test uploads, as well as to communicate time-sensitive testing related updates.
  2. Your Color test results will automatically be reflected in your CoVerified profile soon after you receive a notification from Color, in turn generating your “green screen.” You will continue to need a CoVerified “green screen” to access campus buildings.
  3. As a reminder, our testing requirements are bi-weekly (every 2 weeks) for residential students and monthly for all other Barnard Community members.
  4. Please be advised: if you receive a positive test result NOT taken through Color, it is your responsibility to upload those results into CoVerified as soon as possible. Do not prolong uploading these positive test results as they are an important indication of the prevalence of the coronavirus on our campus at a given time. Additionally note that those who have tested positive in the last 90 days should NOT test, in accordance with CDC guidance. Any positive result that is obtained during that time will result in a mandatory isolation, with no exceptions to this policy.
  5. Additionally, please be mindful that your Color account is programmed to limit the number of testing kits you are able to activate based on your assigned testing cadence for the Fall term (8 for residential students; 4 for all others). If testing kit activation limits are surpassed, you will be expected to test at your own discretion at a non-Barnard location.

We understand that you may have questions, and are happy to assist you via phrt@barnard.edu. As mentioned, PHRT Coordinators will also be available for in-person support from Monday, October 3 through Friday, October 14 from noon-4 p.m. in our new Milbank Hall location.  

Thank you for your attention to this important update, and for your commitment to keeping our community safe. We will be sending further updates about COVID-19 policies on campus next week.

Thank you,

PHRT

Public Health Response Team at Barnard College

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