Students Returning to Campus after COVID-19 Quarantine and Isolation

We are excited that you have been released from quarantine (possible exposure to COVID-19) or isolation (tested positive for COVID-19). Below are six steps that you can follow to ease your transition back to full campus participation.

Step 1: Communicate with the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District

The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District is the lead public health authority for our community. They will provide permission for you to end quarantine or isolation. You can contact them at (217) 239-7877.

Step 2: Begin testing for COVID-19 again

Undergraduate students are required to participate in on-campus COVID-19 testing twice per week and receive negative results at least every four days. Graduate students follow a once-per-week test schedule, or may continue on a twice-weekly schedule if they choose. Students living on-campus or residing locally in Champaign, Urbana or Savoy are required to participate in on-campus testing, even if they are taking a fully online schedule. Visit the testing page for more information on testing requirements.

It is common for people who have recovered from a COVID infection to continue shedding genetic material of the virus, and many people continue to test positive. Many of these individuals are no longer infectious. The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District and the McKinley Health Center have created a process to evaluate repeat positives to determine if an individual is required to go into isolation again after completing their initial 10-day isolation period. Once this decision is made, your app will be manually reset to provide building access.

Please keep in mind that it can take 24 hours for your building app to be manually reset. After 24 hours please contact the COVID Wellness Answer Center at covidwellness@illinois.edu to explain that you had a repeat positive test.

Step 3: Transition back to local housing

  • If you isolated or quarantined with University Housing, you will be emailed instructions to check out of the isolation/quarantine space. Please follow these instructions and email reshalls@housing.illinois.edu if you have any questions or concerns. Please take your COVID-19 test prior to moving back to your residence hall.
  • If you isolated or quarantined at your permanent address and live in University Housing, you need to take a COVID-19 test prior to returning to your on-campus residence hall. You do not need to wait for results to move back into the halls.
  • If you live in a private certified hall, fraternity or sorority or off-campus apartment, you need to consult the management for your housing to see if there are any additional steps you need to take to return to your local address.

Step 4: Regain building access

Students in quarantine (possible exposure to COVID-19) need to have a negative test after being released in order to regain building access. For students in isolation (tested positive for COVID-19), your Safer Illinois app will update your status within 24 hours of being released.

For both isolation and quarantine:

If your app has not updated after 24 hours, please contact the COVID Wellness Answer Center at covidwellness@illinois.edu. Please include your name, UIN and the date you were permitted to leave isolation and quarantine.

Step 5: Communicate with instructors

Hopefully you have been communicating with your instructors about how your absence(s) will be managed. If your instructors request an absence letter, you can request one from the Student Assistance Center within the Office of the Dean of Students.

Step 6: Resume campus activities

Please communicate with employers, student registered organizations, etc. that you may resume on-campus activities. 

Additional resources