COVID-19 Testing
CUNY has established testing sites and protocols for students, staff, and faculty.
CUNY Testing Requirements
The CUNY Vaccination Policy requires all students to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 unless they have been granted a religious or medical exemption or they need emergency services. This requirement includes a booster as soon as the student is eligible. Staff and faculty are also required to be fully vaccinated and must upload their Vaccination Record Card into CUNYfirst, or else participate in CUNY’s CLEARED4 testing program. All community members are urged to get the booster shot when eligible.
If you are an unvaccinated individual participating in the testing program or you have been selected for random testing, you must receive a test by the date indicated from a CUNY testing site.
If you are returning to campus from isolation or mandatory quarantine, you must obtain a negative test result through a CUNY testing site or another licensed test provider. Note that mandatory quarantine applies only to unvaccinated or partially vaccinated individuals who are exposed to someone positive for COVID-19. View the full COVID-19 case investigation protocol here.
You may provide a test from a non-CUNY testing site prior to returning to campus when symptomatic, or to screen after exposure to someone positive for COVID-19.
Testing Locations
Brooklyn College is offering free PCR COVID-19 tests in our Student Center testing facility with extended hours of operation. Additionally, any CUNY student or employee may walk into any CUNY testing site, show his or her CUNY ID, and get a free COVID-19 test. Testing site addresses and hours (which vary per location) are available here (note that the Brooklyn College testing site is closed on Sundays and holidays). Rapid tests will soon be made available for screening purposes when anticipated entry to campus is required. Details are forthcoming.
Random Testing Program
To enhance safety on our campus, CUNY is expanding its mandatory random COVID-19 testing of students, staff, and faculty. CUNY has increased the number of vaccinated people who are routinely tested as well as the frequency of testing. Updated testing numbers for each campus are tracked on the CUNY website.
If you are selected for testing in a given period, you will receive an e-mail from no-reply@cleared4work.com or a text message from 833.635.1086 with instructions. More information is available here.
Types of COVID-19 Tests
There are two types of tests available that detect COVID-19:
- Viral test: This test checks for the presence of an active coronavirus infection in the body. Viral tests come in two different forms:
- Rapid tests are performed at either a provider or Point-of-Care service. Someone other than the individual being tested performs and/or interprets the test. This includes antigen and some Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests (NAATs). Over-the-counter self-tests are another antigen test that are easy to use and produce rapid results. Antigen tests have reduced sensitivity and are best used as a screening tool to identify those who are likely to be contagious. When testing asymptomatic individuals, some test manufacturers recommend testing twice over two or three days to increase accuracy.
- Laboratory tests include Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests (NAATs). An RT-PCR (reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction) test is a type of NAAT. NAATs, including PCR tests, are considered the gold standard because they are highly sensitive and highly specific.
- Antibody test: This test checks for the presence of antibodies created in the body as a result of past exposure. It cannot be used to diagnose COVID-19 or to confirm immunity.
Order four free tests here and read more on the various types of tests.
