Entry COVID Testing for Students Starts Jan. 14; UK Employees’ Access to Free Testing to Continue

black car driving up to the COVID-19 testing site at Kroger Field in August 2020
Drive-thru COVID-19 testing at Kroger Field in August 2020. Testing at Kroger Field will be one of three sites available for entry testing for the Spring 2021 semester. Pete Comparoni | UK Photo.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Jan. 11, 2021) University of Kentucky students who will be on campus in Spring 2021 will begin COVID-19 entry testing Jan. 14.

UK employees — faculty and staff — will continue to have access to free testing for the coronavirus throughout the semester as well. Here are the details:

  • Students (even those who have not yet scheduled classes but plan to) should receive a test through UK between Jan. 14-30. Go ahead and schedule your test now.  
  • Testing sites for students, faculty and staff include:  
    • The Blue Lot at Kroger Field (drive-thru)  
    • K-Lair, located in Haggin Hall on the central campus (walk-up) 
    • The Blue Box Theater in the Gatton Student Center (walk-up) 
  • As in the fall, tests will be provided at no cost. Students and employees should bring their IDs to the testing sites. For more information about the entry testing plan, students can go to this site.
  • Employees can find more information about employee testing at this site. The scheduling link will be updated to reflect the additional locations and time slots this week.

OTHER TESTING, TRACING AND SCREENING DETAILS: 

  • UK is making plans for required ongoing maintenance testing of students throughout Spring 2021. More information on that process will be available in the coming days.
  • UK is also developing a plan for campus vaccinations. UK HealthCare employees who work in the academic medical center and directly with patients have been receiving vaccinations since December in accordance with the vaccine plan developed by the state Department of Public Health.
  • As in the fall, UK will continue conducting wastewater testing on residence halls.
  • As in the fall, UK will continue testing specific student subpopulations when data indicate a higher prevalence of the virus.  
  • As in the fall, UK students and employees are being asked to complete the daily screener.  
  • As in the fall, UK Health Corps will continue to holistically support students. This team of contact tracers, academic coordinators and wellness connectors will operate seven days a week throughout the spring. They are here to help you navigate any issues and to make it as easy as possible to be safe on our campus. 
  • If students or other members of the community have any questions or need help, please contact healthcorps@uky.edu or 859-218-SAFE.  

As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.   

In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.