Regular asymptomatic testing through Color- Yale’s Covid 19 Testing Program will be available but not required, as testing was previously. You should test any time you think you have been exposed or when you are experiencing COVID-19-related symptoms.. Additional testing may be required to participate in certain on campus events.

The new processes for asymptomatic and symptomatic testing have eliminated the need for physical test sites.

Details for testing are provided below:

Please do not go to the Yale Health Center for testing unless instructed to do so by a nurse. There are faster and more convenient ways to test for COVID at home.

Option 1

Test through Color, get definitive results within 24 hours (median turnaround is 16 hours)

• You received 5 Color PCR test kits in your welcome bag in September, and they are also available at kiosks around campus, including Schwarzman lower level, Rosenfeld (109 Grove St) and 60 Sachem Street.
• Testing through Color is quick and convenient. Activate a kit, self-swab and drop of your sample at a kiosk. Watch these videos for instructions on how to create your account on a computer or a smartphone and how to activate a kit.
• A negative PCR in a symptomatic person does not need to be repeated.

Option 2

Use a rapid test, and repeat the test if negative.

• If you test positive, submit your results by completing this form.
• If you have symptoms and your test is negative, you need to perform a Color test (preferable) or wait 24-48 hours and do another rapid test. Remain masked in the meantime.

How to get rapid tests

Insurance companies are required to pay for to 8 tests per month according to federal law.

If you have Yale Health insurance, you can request a free supply by completing this form and picking them up at Yale Health Center. Tests are NOT available on a walk-in basis.

If you have waived Yale Health insurance, tests can be purchased at a pharmacy or online and may be reimbursed by your insurance company.

Students, faculty, and staff who test positive for COVID-19 outside of the Yale Testing Program are expected to notify the university so that they can receive advice about isolation and treatment.

For additional guidance please contact the CCRL (203-432-6604) or Student Health (203-432-0312).

Find out more about when to test and which test to use.

The university requires all students, faculty, staff, and postdoctoral/postgraduate trainees — other than those with approved medical or religious exemptions — to receive a primary COVID-19 vaccine series and to obtain a booster shot within 14 days of eligibility.

Additionally, as of October 27, 2022, students — other than those with approved medical or religious exemptions —must receive an updated, bivalent booster by the start of the spring semester (in any event, no later than January 31, 2023), regardless of how many previous monovalent boosters they received. COVID-19 Vaccination Policy | COVID-19 Information (yale.edu)

Students who do not comply with the university’s COVID-19 Vaccination Policy may be referred to the Compact Review Committee. Failure to meet requirements may lead to administrative action.

Additional information about vaccination may be found on the Yale COVID-19 Vaccine Program webpage or by calling the Campus COVID Resource Line (CCRL) for assistance at 203-432-6604.

Visitors are required to be up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines, as defined by the CDC.

If you test positive for COVID-19, you will receive instructions for isolating for five to seven days in your room or in your off-campus housing, depending on your housing configuration. For more details visit What to do While Isolating on Campus on the Yale COVID-19 website

If your roommate requires assistance with alternative accommodations, please have them call Housing Services Office staff at 203-432-4020.

CDC guidance and university policy continue to require that individuals who test positive for COVID-19 isolate away from others until they are released to return to class or work. Details about isolation are available on the Yale COVID-19 website. Individuals who test positive for COVID-19 are encouraged to contact their healthcare providers to determine if they are eligible for treatment.

Close contacts of individuals with COVID-19 will no longer be required to quarantine, even if they are exempt from vaccination and/or boosters. Close contacts are still required to test and to mask when around others for 10 days following exposure.

Masking will be optional in most spaces on campus and on university transit vehicles, with certain exceptions noted below.

While classroom masking will be optional in most cases, given the wide range of classroom settings and configurations, individual instructors are permitted to continue to require masking in their own classrooms or instructional spaces.

In addition, hosts of certain events or gatherings may require masks for attendees. Instructors and hosts may consult the COVID-19 Review Team for advice about masking.

Masking will also continue to be required when:

• visiting health care settings, such as Yale Health and Yale Medicine clinics; 
• experiencing symptoms;
• testing positive for COVID-19 and subject to COVID-19 isolationprotocols;
• identified as a close contactof an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19;
• required by state or local agencies.

For more detail visit Mask Requirements and Guidance | Yale Environmental Health & Safety.

As always, university health and safety policies, including mask requirements, may be modified if public health conditions change.

Learn about on-campus policies, procedures, and services for keeping Yale healthy. Please visit for details on Dining, Athletics, events and more.  On Campus | COVID-19 Information (yale.edu)

Public health guidelines and Yale College COVID policy for the performing arts can be found on the Undergraduate Production website Yale College COVID policy for performing arts | Yale Undergraduate Production.

Visitors are allowed on campus if they are up to date on their vaccines. Beginning in the Fall of 2022, undergraduate students will be able to serve as hosts. You can find more information about Yale’s visitors policy on Yale's COVID-19 website.