COVID-19 Response COVID-19 Response

COVID-19 Testing

Antigen test kits are available at a variety of campus locations to all students, faculty and staff, who are encouraged to test following travel, attendance at large gatherings, illness or potential exposure. Cornell Health offers PCR tests for symptomatic students who meet the clinical testing criteria. Test kits are also available free of charge at local libraries and municipal centers. Contact your library or municipal center before arrival to check availability.

Following breaks, be sure to test upon arrival before beginning campus activities. Test again three to five days after your arrival. If you test positive after taking an antigen test, you must report your results. Reporting positive test results helps to track the prevalence of the virus on campus, enables students to receive academic support and accommodations and enables employees to receive appropriate guidance.

Antigen Test Kit Information

Pick-up locations
Students, faculty and staff may obtain antigen test kits during operating hours at locations listed below. Antigen test kit pick-up requires Cornell ID, but no appointment necessary. Limit two kits per person. Antigen test kits are also available at local pharmacies, and benefits-eligible employees are covered for eight antigen rapid home tests per 30-day period for each insured individual in the household.

Self-reporting a positive result
If you test positive after taking an antigen test, you must report your results. Reporting positive test results helps to track the prevalence of the virus on campus, enables students to receive academic support and accommodations and enables employees to receive appropriate guidance.

Bulk requests for antigen test kits
Staff, faculty and student group organizers may request a bulk quantity of antigen kits by submitting a request through this form, noting requestor name and NetID (this must be the same person who picks up the kits), group/activity name, date of event/activity, number of kits requested and a description of the attendees/audience. Note that antigen kits may not be requested for or distributed to guests or visitors.

COVID Dashboard

On Oct. 1, the university ceased posting weekly results of self-reported antigen tests on its COVID-19 response website. Without mandatory testing or reporting requirements, dashboard data may be misleading. The vaccination status of our students, staff and faculty is over 95% and this, along with federal, state, and local data, remain the best indicators of the health of our community.

Antigen test kits are freely available to all students, faculty and staff, and we encourage all individuals who test positive (with antigen test kits provided by Cornell or through other testing) to report this on the Daily Check. The university continues to encourage those who are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine or booster to get one, and to practice COVID-19 etiquette by staying home if ill. For those with symptoms or who are known contacts of others with COVID, we encourage that testing is sought and that extra precautions are taken until test results are known. The university continues to provide high-quality masks to all students, faculty and staff who wish to wear one.