Health Services will provide current University at Buffalo students (and their families) with the latest information and service announcements during the COVID-19 pandemic.
UB has implemented a COVID-19 surveillance testing program for asymptomatic community members. Learn more about this invitation-based preventative testing process
If you have symptoms or have been a close contact of someone who has tested positive, see below for testing options.
The university will require a quarantine for individuals awaiting the result of viral testing; who report close contact (being within 6 feet for more than 15 minutes or receiving respiratory secretions via cough, sneeze or kiss) with people who have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2; or who report close contact with people whose symptoms are highly suggestive of COVID-19 (e.g., the loss of taste or smell). The quarantine period is 10 days from the time of exposure. If you live on campus please contact Campus Living staff:
Once you have been moved to temporary quarantine/isolation housing, testing for COVID-19 can be arranged by contacting Health Services. If it is recommended that you go off-campus for testing (e.g.. due to insurance coverage limitations) and do not have private transportation, transportation assistance will be offered at no cost. For testing options on Saturdays and Sundays, residential students in quarantine/isolation housing should follow the instructions for off-campus students below.
The university will require a quarantine for individuals awaiting the result of viral testing; who report close contact (being within 6 feet for more than 15 minutes or receiving respiratory secretions via cough, sneeze or kiss) with people who have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2; or who report close contact with people whose symptoms are highly suggestive of COVID-19 (e.g., the loss of taste or smell). The quarantine period is 10 days from the time of exposure.
If you have private transportation: find a testing location near you in the table below or call the NYS testing hotline at 1-888-364-3065 and schedule an appointment.
If you do not have private transportation and live off-campus and were advised to get tested for COVID-19 by the Daily Health Check, your health care provider, or local health department:
(The transportation provided is to the testing site and back to the pick-up location, no additional or alternate stops can be accommodated.)
| Facility | Address | Phone Number |
|---|---|---|
| New York State Testing Center - Buffalo | 125 Perry St, Buffalo, NY 14204 | 1-888-364-3065 or make an appointment online |
| Well Now - Amherst | 3980 Sheridan Dr. Amherst NY 14226 | Make an appointment online |
| Well Now - Amherst | 3921 Harlem Rd. Buffalo, NY 14226 | Make an appointment online |
| Walgreens | 3488 Main St. Buffalo, NY 14214
| Make an appointment online |
| Rite Aid | 2474 Bailey Ave., Buffalo, NY 14215 | Make an appointment online |
| CVS | 392 Kenmore Ave., Kenmore, NY 14223 | Make an appointment online |
| WNY Immediate Care | 2099 Niagara Falls Blvd., Amherst, NY 14228 | Make an appointment online |
| WNY Immediate Care | 2497 Delaware Ave., Buffalo, NY 14216 | Make an appointment online |
*Erie County and NYS testing sites offer free testing. Other locations may bill your health insurance or expect payment at the time of testing.
View a searchable map of additional testing locations.
Per the Commissioner of the Erie County Department of Health, if you have symptoms of COVID-19 and are awaiting test results or if you test positive for COVID-19, regardless of your symptoms, you need to be in isolation until certain criteria are met. See the links below for the criteria and information on how to protect yourself and the community.
Appointments are no longer needed at any state-run or county-run vaccination site.
As part of UB’s comprehensive efforts to monitor and prevent the spread of COVID-19, the university has established a reporting process for students living on- and off-campus who have tested positive for the virus.
For confidential reporting, please use the online reporting form.
Health Services does not provide notes relating to travel or completion of isolation/quarantine. Students in need of this documentation should complete the appropriate form provided by the Erie County Department of Health and submit this to the requesting party.
> We cannot provide travel clearance documents relating to COVID-19.
> We can not/do not provide documentation regarding your health infection status.
> We do not issue class excuses.
4/1/21: Registered UB students can now upload COVID-19 vaccine documentation to their medical record via the secure Patient Link portal! Please wait until you’ve completed the vaccine series before uploading your document. Visit the portal and log in using your UBIT information.
These answers are in accordance with current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and local and New York State Health Department guidance.
The university will require a quarantine for individuals awaiting the result of viral testing; who report close contact (being within 6 feet for more than 15 minutes or receiving respiratory secretions via cough, sneeze or kiss) with people who have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2; or who report close contact with people whose symptoms are highly suggestive of COVID-19 (e.g., the loss of taste or smell). The quarantine period is 10 days from the time of exposure. If you develop symptoms, please contact your health care provider and local health department.
The travel guidelines require all New Yorkers, as well as those visiting from out-of-state or another country, to take personal responsibility for compliance in the best interest of public health and safety.
Asymptomatic travelers entering New York from another country, U.S. state, or territory are no longer required to test or quarantine as of April 10, 2021. Quarantine, consistent with the CDC recommendations, is still recommended for all travelers who are not fully vaccinated or have not recovered from laboratory confirmed COVID-19 during the previous 3 months. Symptomatic travelers must immediately self-isolate and contact the local health department or their healthcare providers to determine if they should seek COVID-19 testing. For full guidance and updates, please visit https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/covid-19-travel-advisory.
These answers are in accordance with current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and local and New York State Health Department guidance.
Updated April 12, 2021
Authoritative Source: Health Services
The answer will be dependent on the type of testing:
With a positive COVID-19 test result and you were sick (symptomatic) when you were tested, your mandatory isolation period will end when all 3 criteria are met:
With a positive COVID-19 test result and you were NOT sick (asymptomatic) when you were tested, your mandatory isolation period will end:
If you are in isolation because you had a COVID-19 test and are waiting for results, and now your results are negative your isolation period will end:
If you are in isolation because you participated in “pool” surveillance testing and you were told your “pool” was positive, you must isolate as follows based on the results of your individual test:
If you are in isolation because you participated in “pool” surveillance testing and you were told your “pool” was positive, you must isolate as follows based on the results of your individual test:
Students may also receive an order of quarantine from the local Erie County Department of Health (ECDOH) as a result of potential exposure, pending test results or a positive test result. View ECDOH “Commissioner's Order for Quarantine” document in the “Isolation & Quarantine Documents and Forms” section of their website.
Updated April 12, 2021
Authoritative Source: Health Services
Starting April 6, anyone aged 16 years or older residing in NYS will be eligible to receive vaccine, but eligibility doesn't mean availability. Health Services currently doesn't have vaccine. To find a vaccination site and make an appointment, visit the NYS COVID-19 Vaccination website; outside NYS, search the national vaccine directory.
Once students have completed their vaccine series, they can upload a copy to the student's patient portal.
NY's Excelsior Pass is a smartphone app that may be used at participating businesses and venues as part of NY's safe reopening. It is not medical documentation since it doesn't provide us with the name of vaccine or dates of administration.
Some students may receive a COVID-19 vaccine that is not currently authorized in the United States. In some circumstances people who received a COVID-19 vaccine not currently authorized in the United States may be offered revaccination with an FDA-authorized vaccine:
For more information related to COVID-19 vaccines authorized for emergency use by WHO, visit their website.
You can help yourself and your campus community by doing the following:
We are aware that incoming students may have difficulty obtaining immunization records with the current COVID-19 pandemic.
To make things as easy as possible for our students, we will accept records via mail, fax, or email. Here are some ways you may be able to obtain a copy of your records:
If you have any questions regarding health insurance or need to make a payment, please email our office. A payment link will be sent in the reply email for any payments.
The SUNY International Student Health Insurance Program with UHC offers comprehensive coverage for those students that need COVID-19 testing or contract the virus.
Counseling Services is here to help with the following tips to help you manage your anxiety.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, TAO has decided to make our Mindfulness Library free for everyone. Please feel free to share with family, friends, or anyone else who might benefit from enhancing their mindfulness practice.
All exercises are available in both English and French: https://www.taoconnect.org/mindfulness-exercise/
There is now a free mental health crisis line for residents of New York State. A person can schedule a FREE appointment with a mental health professional by calling 1-844-863-9314.
The Erie County Department of Health has created a hotline for COVID-19 related calls: 716-858-2929
Student Life
University at Buffalo
Michael Hall, 3435 Main Street, South Campus
Buffalo, NY 14214
Phone: (716) 829-3316; Fax: (716) 829-2564
UB's Health Services is unable to provide information about the NY State Department of Health’s COVID vaccination clinics being held at Harriman Hall on UB’s South Campus. For information about these clinics, including eligibility and to make an appointment, please call the NYS Health Department’s COVID vaccine hotline phone number: 1-833-697-4829 (1-833-NYS-4-VAX) or refer to their website.
