Rider Students To Get Free COVID Tests Before Thanksgiving Travel

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – Starting Monday, Rider University will provide students free COVID-19 tests, before they return home for the remainder of the fall semester.

Testing will be available for currently enrolled students who live on campus or who live off campus (but not at home) and who frequent campus for any reason, like attending classes, meetings, rehearsals, practices, etc.

Self-administered PCR saliva tests will be offered in the basketball practice facility behind the Alumni Gym. The facility is accessible from the sidewalk that runs between Alumni Gym and the SRC, closest to the parking lot.

Here’s the schedule:

• Monday, November 16: 12 to 4 p.m. (last time to arrive - 3:30 p.m.)
• Tuesday, November 17: 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (last time to arrive - 2 p.m.)
• Wednesday, November 18: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (last time to arrive - 12:30 p.m.)
• Thursday, November 19: 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (last time to arrive - 2 p.m.)

Students will be accommodated on a first-come, first-served basis and no advance appointments are necessary. The university has also released instructions for students to follow prior to getting tested. Avoid eating, drinking, chewing gum or smoking 30 minutes prior to taking the test. Students can expect test results within 72 hours.

Those who test on November 19 will receive their results early the following week. The American College Health Association (ACHA) said that the test only reflects one point in time, there can be false negative results, and, in some cases, the virus may be contracted during travel.

Mask wearing and physical distancing is still mandatory despite a negative result. The university has advised students to also consider getting tested following the completion of travel.

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