Daily Symptom Monitoring
Unvaccinated faculty, staff and students are required to complete daily symptom monitoring using the Symptom Tracker mobile application or the online web form.
Health
The health of our community is integral to our ability to facilitate on-campus activity. Explore the University's safety procedures, health monitoring requirements and response protocols.
Personal Accountability
Returning to campus means a steadfast commitment from each of us to safeguard our own health and that of those around us.
All community members are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and notify the University if they have a positive COVID-19 diagnosis or exposure.
Reporting a Diagnosis
If you are tested at one of our NU sites, you do not need to "self-report," as your positive test will be identified automatically if you have completed the necessary consents. Self-reporting using the Self Reporting Form is necessary only for individuals with a positive diagnosis from a testing site outside of Northwestern University or Northwestern Medicine.
COVID-19 Testing
On-campus Testing is Available
Asymptomatic testing is available for all students, faculty, staff and visitors. Unvaccinated students, faculty and staff are required to complete two Abbott rapid antigen tests every week. All students, faculty and staff currently on campus who believe they have COVID-19 symptoms can be tested on campus through a partnership between Northwestern University Health Service (NUHS) and Northwestern Medicine.
See Testing DetailsResponding to COVID-19 Cases
When a member of Northwestern's on-campus community tests positive for COVID-19, the University responds in a variety of ways, including contact tracing and cleaning protocols.
Regardless of one’s vaccination status, all individuals testing positive for COVID-19 must self-isolate. Unvaccinated individuals identified via contact tracing are asked to quarantine until the recommended CDC clearance timeframe has been met. Fully vaccinated individuals or those who have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past three months who are identified via contract tracing are not required to quarantine. Individuals who are identified via contact tracing who develop symptoms are asked to test for COVID-19 at specific intervals to rule out the presence of a COVID-19 infection.
Northwestern updates its online Confirmed Case Tracker on a weekly basis. Our goal is to be open and transparent, which we believe is essential to help stop the spread of the virus.