COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Texas A&M announced March 15 they will begin mandatory COVID-19 testing for all students beginning March 23.
The new mandate will impact students of three groups: Those who reside in university housing on the Bryan-College Station campus and nearby university Health Science Center buildings, who will all be required to test beginning Tuesday, March 23.
Student employees working on the B-CS campus and the Health Science Center buildings will begin testing from March 25 to 29.
All students who are in courses which are only offered in face-to-face classrooms will be required to take campus COVID-19 tests from March 29 to April 2.
Students looking for information on where and when is best to take the mandated test should consult the university's COVID-19 testing location page here and the centers will have extended hours and drive-thru options available.
As a reminder, students must complete a online survey before arriving at the testing site and can access their Testing Portal through the Howdy webpage. Any student who is in more than one of the three aforementioned categories should test during the earliest available testing window.
Students at other campuses and sites beyond the Bryan-College Station campus will receive guidance from their leadership on how to best move forward in alliance with their protocols.
The strategy comes after St. Patrick's Day and a three-day holiday weekend for A&M students, faculty and staff and the university hopes to contain a larger spread and help reduce the burden on hospitals in Brazos County.