IU Bloomington
In light of the continued community spread of COVID-19 across the U.S. and around the world, Indiana University has adjusted its academic calendar for 2020-2021. This page contains information and links specific to students, faculty and staff at IU Bloomington.
Arrival testing for Spring 2021
As students return to Bloomington, they will begin being tested for COVID-19 on a regular basis. Please use the directions below to learn how to schedule and participate in testing.
Anyone who has tested positive in the last 11 to 90 days of their arrival to Bloomington will NOT need to take an arrival test.
If you tested positive within the last 90 days outside of IU or IU Health, please submit your results through the COVID-19 self-report form.Living in on-campus housing (residence hall, Biddle Hotel, The Avenue)
- Apply for intersession housing (there is an additional fee for this and can take up to 48 hours for approval).
- Sign up for your arrival test. This will be a saliva test just like mitigation testing in the fall semester with results back within 48 hours.
- Remember, you cannot eat, drink, smoke, vape, or chew gum for 30 minutes prior to your test.
- When you arrive for your test, you'll go to the IU Auditorium. Look for the purple signs.
- Wait for the results of your test in your residence hall room.
- You should quarantine as much as possible and stay away from others while you're waiting for your results.
- Check your IU email for your test result.
Negative test result: Follow your normal routine while continuing to practice social distancing and wearing a mask.
Positive test result: You will need to isolate for 10 days following the date of your test and until any symptoms improve. You may isolate at home or at Ashton.
- Sign up for your arrival test. This will be a rapid test with results back in about an hour.
- Remember, you cannot eat, drink, smoke, vape, or chew gum for 30 minutes prior to your test.
- When you arrive for your test, you'll go to Garrett Fieldhouse. Look for the orange signs.
- Wait for the results of your test. You'll receive your results on-site at the fieldhouse.
Negative test result: You may move in with proof of your negative result.
Positive test result: You will need to take a saliva test immediately at Garrett Fieldhouse and then wait for your results at home or at Ashton. Results will be back within 48 hours.
If your second test is negative: You may move in with proof of your negative result.
If your second test is positive: You will need to isolate for 10 days following the date of your test and until any symptoms improve. You may isolate at home or at Ashton.
- Sign up for your arrival test. You can choose either the IU Auditorium or Cramer Marching Hundred Hall. This will be a saliva test just like mitigation testing in the fall semester with results back within 48 hours.
- Remember, you cannot eat, drink, smoke, vape, or chew gum for 30 minutes prior to your test.
- Arrive for your test at the location you selected. Look for purple signs at the IU Auditorium or green signs at Cramer Marching Hundred Hall.
- Wait for the results of your test at home or at Ashton. You may not move in until you have received a negative test result
- Check your IU email for your test result.
Negative test result: You may move in with proof of your negative result.
Positive test result: You will need to isolate for 10 days following the date of your test and until any symptoms improve. You may isolate at home or at Ashton.
Living in a Greek or Student Organization House
- Sign up for your arrival test. This will be a saliva test just like mitigation testing in the fall semester with results back within 48 hours.
- Remember, you cannot eat, drink, smoke, vape, or chew gum for 30 minutes prior to your test.
- When you arrive for your test, you'll go to the IU Auditorium. Look for the purple signs.
- Wait for the results of your test at home or at a local hotel. You may not move into your house until you have received a negative test result.
- You should quarantine as much as possible and stay away from others while you're waiting for your results.
- Check your IU email for your test result.
Negative test result: You may move into your house with proof of your negative result.
Positive test result: You will need to isolate for 10 days following the date of your test and until any symptoms improve. Consult with your chapter to determine capacity for isolating in your house.
- Sign up for your arrival test. This will be a rapid test with results back in about an hour.
- Remember, you cannot eat, drink, smoke, vape, or chew gum for 30 minutes prior to your test.
- When you arrive for your test, you'll go to Garrett Fieldhouse. Look for the orange signs.
- Wait for the results of your test. You'll receive your results on-site at the fieldhouse.
Negative test result: You may move into your house with proof of your negative result.
Positive test result: You will need to take a saliva test immediately at Garrett Fieldhouse and then wait for your results at home or a local hotel. Results will be back within 48 hours.
If your second test is negative: You may move into your house with proof of your negative result.
If your second test is positive: You will need to isolate for 10 days following the date of your test and until any symptoms improve. Consult with your chapter to determine capacity for isolating in your house.
- Sign up for your arrival test. You can choose either the IU Auditorium or Cramer Marching Hundred Hall. This will be a saliva test just like mitigation testing in the fall semester with results back within 48 hours.
- Remember, you cannot eat, drink, smoke, vape, or chew gum for 30 minutes prior to your test.
- Arrive for your test at the location you selected. Look for purple signs at the IU Auditorium or green signs at Cramer Marching Hundred Hall.
- Wait for the results of your test at home or at a local hotel. You may not move into your house until you have received a negative test result.
- Check your IU email for your test result.
Negative test result: You may move into your house with proof of your negative result.
Positive test result: You will need to isolate for 10 days following the date of your test and until any symptoms improve. Consult with your chapter to determine capacity for isolating in your house.
Living off campus
- Check your IU email each Friday beginning Jan. 1 for information on signing up for mitigation testing.
- If you will not be in Bloomington during any part of the following week, request an exemption using the link in the email.
- If you will be in Bloomington during any part of the following week, sign up for a mitigation testing appointment on the first day you'll be back. Getting your test should be the first thing you do when you get back to Bloomington.
- Remember, you cannot eat, drink, smoke, vape, or chew gum for 30 minutes prior to your test.
- Arrive for your test at the IU Auditorium and look for the purple signs. (if you're arriving after Feb. 7, you may also schedule your test at Cramer Marching Hundred Hall)
- Wait for the results of your test at your Bloomington residence or permanent residence. You should quarantine as much as possible and stay away from others while you're waiting for your results.
- Check your IU email for your test result. Results should be available within 48 hours.
Negative test result: Follow your normal routine while continuing to practice social distancing and wearing a mask.
Positive test result: You will need to isolate for 10 days following the date of your test and until any symptoms improve.
Arrival testing FAQ
You should plan your schedule around when arrival testing is available. If you cannot test immediately upon arrival, you should sign up for the first available spot and avoid non-essential activities in general and temporarily quarantine until you are tested and receive your results.
It depends on where you live. If you arrive prior to January 30 and live in the residence halls, you can move into your room due to the minimal number of residents returning early. If you live in a Greek or Student Organization House and arrive prior to January 30, you should quarantine at a hotel or in a private room outside of your Greek or Student Organization House. There is a list of hotels available at a reduced rate. If you live off-campus, you should reside in a private room and limit contact as much as possible.
Results from the saliva (PCR) tests will be returned via email in 36 hours or less.
Rapid (antigen) test results taken during arrival testing (Jan. 30-Feb. 7) will be provided onsite about 30 minutes after your test.
Anyone with a negative rapid test result may move-in upon receiving the result.
Anyone with a positive rapid test result, will have a saliva sample collected immediately for a PCR test. This additional test will be used to confirm the rapid test.
You will have to be in temporary isolation until your PCR results are returned. If positive, you will need to complete your isolation and not move in until the isolation period is complete. If the PCR result is negative, then you can proceed with move-in.
You should take the nasal swab rapid (antigen) test at Garrett Fieldhouse at the School of Public Health-Bloomington.
If you live in a Greek or Student Organization House and are unable to register for this test, you need to ask your chapter president and/or House Director to email the Office of Sorority and Fraternity Life at osfl@indiana.edu so that you can be added to the list.
Plan ahead! If you can, you should move on a day when you do not have classes. If you cannot change your schedule and you must arrive on a day with classes, you should not attend class in-person. You should contact your instructor(s) in advance to ensure that the class will be recorded and you can make up any missed work during that time period.
Students living in congregate housing should have already received an email regarding arrival testing with detailed instructions. Only students living in the residence halls, and Greek and Student Organization Houses will be able to register for the rapid (antigen) test between January 30 and February 7.
The saliva (PCR) test is more sensitive than the rapid (antigen) test and will confirm if you are in fact positive for COVID-19. The process of confirming a positive antigen result in asymptomatic people with a molecular (PCR) test is in accordance with testing guidelines from the Indiana Department of Health (IDOH).
No, you need to take a test upon arrival at the campus where you'll be taking courses during the spring 2021 semester. Only IU tests will count for your arrival testing requirements.
Testing when you arrive at IU helps to provide the most protection from spreading COVID-19 to the campus and community by testing you upon your arrival to campus or into your housing location. Additionally, the turnaround time for IU tests is often shorter than most commercial or community testing opportunities. Testing with IU also allows for seamless reporting of results, case investigation, and contact tracing by our team, which again, will best protect the campuses and surrounding communities.
It depends on where you live so you should have a plan in case this becomes a need at any point during the semester.
Students living in the residence halls will be given the option to isolate at Ashton. They can also return home (as long as others are not exposed) or can isolate at a hotel.
If you live in a Greek or Student Organization House, there may be a limited amount of isolation space in your house but you will need to plan ahead and have an alternative option should it be full. You should isolate by returning home (if you can do so without exposing or interacting others) or going to a hotel. Reduced rates at local hotels in Bloomington are available.
If you live in a Greek or Student Organization House and are unable to register for this test, you need to email the Office of Sorority and Fraternity Life at osfl@indiana.edu so that you can be added to the list.
Bloomington off-campus quarantine and isolation guide
Learn about how IU Bloomington will support students in off-campus quarantine or isolation.
See the guideBloomington on-campus quarantine and isolation resources
Learn about how IU Bloomington will support students in on-campus quarantine or isolation.
View the resourcesCOVID-19 in communal living environments
Positive cases of COVID-19 among IU Bloomington students in communal living, such as Greek houses, continue to rise at an alarming rate. This is making it difficult to contain the spread of COVID-19 within these living environments and for houses to safely quarantine or isolate students.
View the dataRestart committee reports and information
Both university-wide and campus-specific restart committees have provided recommendations for the upcoming academic year.
Learn about the committees and reports