COVID-19 Testing for Employees and New Quarantine Guidance

As the year progresses and the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, The University of Texas at Arlington is committed to remaining consistent with federal, state, and local guidelines and providing resources to help keep our Maverick community safe.

We are pleased to share that UTA has engaged Curative, the provider behind the state’s drive-through testing services, to make on-campus testing available to our employees and their families and dependents. Supported by funding from the Texas Division of Emergency Management, these on-campus testing services will be free for all, regardless of insurance status.

Since we were previously unable to offer COVID-19 testing to employees through UTA Health Services, Curative was purposefully selected as an on-campus testing partner, as it allows us to make this option available. Curative will be responsible for employee medical records and meeting the state’s reporting requirements.

Effective Monday, March 1, Curative will be administering tests from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. UTA’s Curative Testing Center is located at 435 Spaniolo Drive in the College Park District.

Appointments are encouraged but not required. They can be made through UTA’s portal on Curative’s website. Family members and dependents of UTA employees can receive testing through Curative, but they must make an appointment.

Testing through Curative is available regardless of exposure or whether you have symptoms or not. Since testing is now more readily available and free of cost, UTA encourages all Mavericks to be tested frequently, on a weekly or biweekly basis, to help curb asymptomatic spread on our campus and in our community.

More information about this expanded testing capability, including where to park when you arrive at the Curative Testing Center, is available through our Curative On-Campus Testing FAQs.

The PCR tests administered through this service meet diagnostic requirements for returning to school and work, for traveling, and for undergoing medical procedures.

Since February 9, UTA has implemented shorter quarantine times for individuals who have come in contact with a person who has tested positive for COVID-19, in accordance with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. With the implementation of expanded COVID-19 testing capabilities, UTA is again adjusting its quarantine guidelines.

Effective March 1, the stay-at-home period can end for individuals who have come in close contact with COVID-19 and have not experienced symptoms:

on Day 10 after close contact exposure or
on Day 7 after close contact exposure and the receipt of a negative COVID-19 test result. Only a PCR test administered no earlier than Day 5 after close contact exposure will be accepted.

For the latter option, a negative test result should be provided to covidtracing@uta.edu.

Please note the day an individual learns of close contact exposure is considered Day 0. Day 1 of the quarantine time period is the following day.

As a reminder, if you come in close contact with a person who is lab-confirmed to have COVID-19 or if you have been personally diagnosed with COVID-19, you are required to submit the Close Contact and Personal Diagnosis Form.

It cannot be overstated how grateful we are to each member of the Maverick community for your commitment to protect the health and safety of yourself and those around you and for your continued adherence to University guidance and protocols.