Campus Bulletin: Current Students, Faculty and Staff, Parents, ObieSafe

ObieSafe Weekly: October 20, 2021

October 20, 2021 9:45 AM

Office of Communications

ObieSafe: Caring for our Community (with squirrel mascot)

Holiday travel and COVID testing options

As you plan for Thanksgiving and winter-break travel, you may be wondering about COVID testing. While Oberlin does not require testing before or after travel if you are vaccinated, you may be interested in testing because of travel requirements, or because of personal or family circumstances.

Oberlin does provide weekly testing for unvaccinated individuals as well as symptomatic testing for students, as well as for anyone with approved travel for work or educational purposes. However, we are unable to provide testing for holiday travel.

If you do need or wish to be tested, here are some tips:

  • For those travelling by air – especially if travelling internationally – do your research in advance. Every airline and country has different testing requirements (e.g. PCR vs antigen tests). We recommend you contact the country’s embassy or the airline directly to obtain this information.

  • There are a number of COVID Testing Options within walking and driving distance of campus. The Oberlin CVS and Mercy Hospital Urgent Care are both in walking distance. For additional COVID testing options, see the Lorain County Public Health COVID-19 page.

  • Contact each testing site to inquire about testing availability and turnaround time for test results if you must have a test within 48-72 hours of travel.

  • The following at-home kits are mailed directly to you. Each has a unique process for returning the test and different turnaround times. Oberlin does not endorse any product but wanted to provide alternative options for you to explore:

Safe travels!

Commonly asked questions about COVID-19 testing, quarantine and the overall viral season

With an overall campus vaccination rate of 94 percent and a COVID-19 positivity rate of 0.2 percent, indoor dining has returned and the outdoor mask mandate has been lifted, but concerns remain about COVID-19. Many questions individuals have are related to if and when a COVID test is necessary, particularly by people who believe they have been exposed. To help answer these questions and for tips on how to manage the upcoming flu season, please read this FAQ.


Get in touch with the ObieSafe team

Have something to share in a future issue of ObieSafe Weekly? Email obiesafe@oberlin.edu with story ideas or information you’d like to have considered for publication.

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