Testing, Screening and Tracing
Bay Path considers in-house COVID-19 testing an essential public health step—along with self-screening, physical distancing and face coverings, hygiene, contact tracing, and treatment for those infected—as a critical measure in maintaining a safe and respectful campus environment.
Following these guidelines will help our community continue to do what we do best: learning, teaching, and, ultimately, supporting one another.
Quick Facts
> All students living on campus, as well as all students, faculty, and staff coming to campus must be tested.
Who will be required to be tested?
All students, faculty and staff who are required to come to campus must be tested.
Where will the testing be conducted on campus?
The University will be offering free testing for Bay Path students, faculty and staff in Mills Theatre, Carr Hall. From now and through the month of October (closed on Monday, October 12), testing hours will be offered Monday - Thursday, beginning at 8:00 am with the last appointment being 3:10 pm. You must book your test in advance.
Who will be conducting the tests?
Bay Path has partnered with the Caring Health Center (CHC) to administer the test for all students, faculty, and staff who are on campus. For more information on CHC, click here.
What COVID-19 test will Bay Path use?
The Broad Institute will provide an anterior nasal swab Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test for COVID-19, which students, faculty, and staff will self-administer under the observation of Caring Health Center staff. The sensitivity of this test (detection of true positives) is believed to be greater than 95 percent.
Will I be charged for the test?
No. The University will cover the costs for all tests for students, faculty and staff.
How do I make a COVID testing appointment?
To access the testing schedule, simply go to the Bay Path portal welcome page and click on Schedule COVID-19 Test to access the registration calendar. Click on one of the available dates, select your testing time slot, and then confirm your selection. You must confirm your selection in order to finalize your registration. The system will generate an email reminder 24 hours in advance of your scheduled test and again, 2 hours in advance. To also receive a text message reminder you will need to include your cell phone number as indicated in the instructions. link . The link also provides instructions on how to cancel and/or reschedule an appointment and how to change your time slot.
Am I responsible for keeping track of my future COVID tests?
Yes, you are responsible for remembering to schedule yourself to be retested within 14-days from your last test date. However, when logging into the BP portal, the system will display your status, which includes your most recent daily symptom tracking and test date.
Do I need to bring anything with me for the test?
Yes, please bring your ID with you to the test site. A Bay Path ID or valid driver's license are acceptable. click here to access the student consent form .
How will I be notified of my test result?
Negative test results are sent to your email address on file directly from CareEvolve. If you have an inconclusive or positive test, employees will be contacted by a representative from Human Resources and students will be contacted by Health Services.
May I get tested off-campus closer to my home?
Students may take the test in their own community. Bay Path will not cover the cost of the test, but please be aware that many state governments are actively expanding free testing sites. We recommend you check your local or state public health website for an up-to-date listing. Click on this link to see if a testing site is located near you.
If I get tested off-campus, how do I notify Bay Path of the result?
If I am a commuter, taking all my courses online and not coming to campus, do I need to test?
No, you do not have to test or participate in daily symptom tracking if you will not be on campus for any reason.
If I do not have cold symptoms but I still need medical care, i.e. for an injury, how will I be protected?
The Health Center will be divided into separate zones for both “sick” and “well” students respectively. Sick students will be isolated into a separate area to reduce transmission to healthy students.
How do I complete daily symptom tracking?
If you are coming to campus, for any reason, you are required to conduct daily symptom tracking using the new, automated process by accessing the Daily Symptom Tracking tool on the Bay Path portal welcome page. As a reminder, whether you are coming to campus one day per week or five days per week, you should be doing this every day.
What if I have questions or challenges with the automated registration or daily symptom tracking tools?
Should I hold the door for other people?
Remember that campus buildings are locked and everyone should be using their ID card to scan into buildings as this supports our COVID-19 contact tracing efforts on campus. PLEASE do not hold doors for others!
I am not from Massachusetts—how do I know if I can come to campus?
All visitors entering Massachusetts, including returning residents, who do not meet an exemption, are required to:
Complete the Massachusetts Travel Form prior to arrival, unless you are visiting from a lower-risk state designated by the Department of Public Health . Quarantine for 14 days or produce a negative COVID-19 test result that has been administered up to 72-hours prior to your arrival in Massachusetts.
If your COVID-19 test result has not been received prior to arrival, visitors, and residents must quarantine until they receive a negative test result.
Travelers from COVID-19 lower-risk States are not required to fill out the Massachusetts Travel Form and do not need to quarantine. As of August 24, 2020, these include Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, and New Jersey. The latest list of low-risk states can be found on the Massachusetts website . List has since changed.
What should I do if I am a student who lives on campus or is reporting to campus for on-ground classes and need to travel?
Traditional and graduate students are urged to limit their travel to that which is essential for work, medical appointments, or replenishing of needed food items/necessary supplies. studentlife@baypath.edu and adhere to Massachusetts travel-related guidelines which could include additional testing or quarantine upon your return.
How will my privacy be ensured with the test?
Your privacy is very important. You will receive your negative test result directly from the Broad Institute (CareEvolve). If you test positive and you are a student, a member of our Health Services department will contact you directly.
What happens if I test positive?
If you test positive and live on campus, you will work with Residence Life to go into isolation; if you live off campus, you must isolate yourself at your home residence.
Where can I find the University’s overall COVID-19 test results?
The official dashboard of COVID-19 testing results can be found by clicking here .
Will Bay Path be using contact tracing?
It is critical that the rapid identification of infection is crucial to controlling the spread of COVID-19. Contact is defined as coming into close contact (about 6 feet or two arm lengths) with a person who has COVID-19 for 15 minutes or longer. If you may have had meaningful exposure to a COVID-19 positive person, you will be notified without being told the identity of the patient. Bay Path University officials will be working closely with our local Health Departments to conduct tracing of close contacts.
