New COVID-19 testing measures for students, staff at FGCU

Florida Gulf Coast University has a new plan of attack for combatting the spread of COVID-19 on its campus: Starting Monday, 1,500 people will be chosen at random to get tested each week.

The randomly selected students, faculty and staff will get emails inviting them to come pick up saliva PCR tests, which they can return it within seven days. It is meant to be a free, simple way for people on campus to monitor their health and a sign that FGCU wants to get back to some sense of normalcy.

“We are back fully operational at FGCU, on our campus, and we want to provide people the safest environment that we possibly can,” said Ruth Rodrigues, FGCU’s emergency management director. “And with people participating in a number of different activities, traveling for student activities and business, we want to give them another tool to be safe.”

Anybody on campus, can be chosen, but even if you are randomly selected, it is your choice to participate. Anyone on campus who wants the test just needs to go to the student union during the week sometime between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Used tests can also be mailed at any FedEx office or FedEx Express location.

“It provides some additional visibility for the individual, particularly if they’re traveling, or they’re going to be attending an activity and want to know if they are positive beforehand, or they can grab a test afterwards, to make sure that if they have been exposed to COVID[-19], that they’re aware and can prevent the spread to other people that they’re around,” Rodrigues said.

If you decide to pick up a test kit but fail to use it or return it, you might be charged $65.
If you test positive for COVID-19, you must enter the results on the Veoci app’s health screener.