The Georgetown Neighborhood Library, as well as other Washington, D.C. public libraries in all eight of the city’s wards, are once again providing free COVID-19 tests as of Nov. 22.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, D.C. libraries regularly supplied free rapid COVID-19 tests to District residents, a service many relied on due to the high cost and lack of accessibility of store-bought tests. However, D.C.’s Department of Health stopped offering free tests in February as the rates of COVID-19 cases and testing decreased in D.C. The department’s COVID Centers, centers across the District providing COVID-19 tests, vaccines and other services, remained open. 

Georgetown Neighborhood Library, located at 3260 R St. NW, is open seven days a week and provides tests during all business hours. D.C. Health told The Hoya in an email that the service will run at least through March 2024, giving each library 360 tests to start. D.C. and ward residency is not taken into account, so any person may take a test. 

D.C. Health said that although current rates are 50% lower than they were at this time last year,  the goal of the program is to prevent a rise in cases of COVID-19 during the holiday season. 

“The holidays are a time for gathering with family and friends which oftentimes can lead to increased rates of COVID-19 transmission. Based on this and despite no significant rise in COVID-19 cases in the District, DC Health expanded access to increase test availability simply as a preventative measure as we enter the season when respiratory illnesses tend to rise.” D.C. Health told The Hoya in an email. “We want to ensure individuals are equipped to manage risk of exposure to COVID-19 for themselves and/or their families, particularly elders and others at increased risk of severe infection.” 

Georgetown University currently offers free PCR tests in the Leavey Center vending machines. Students collect and deposit a nasal swab sample, which is then collected from a dropbox Monday through Friday. Test results are provided via an online portal. 

“Free PCR testing for COVID-19 via the Shield T3 vending machines on campus continues to be available to all community members as needed,” the Georgetown Coronavirus Resource Center website says. 

Elizabeth Foster (CAS ’27) said obtaining COVID-19 tests has proven to be difficult on campus. Foster attempted to use the campus vending machines, but was not able to get a result because the dropbox is closed on weekends. She also said that she would not have gotten the PCR results back in time for her Monday class, as PCR tests take 2-3 days. 

“We didn’t want to expose a bunch of people by going to a bunch of places. So that was kind of tough, because we messaged on our floor GroupMe asking if anybody had tests and people were telling us to go to that vending machine place or go somewhere, but they didn’t have any, and nobody had any,” Foster told The Hoya. 

Foster added that Georgetown’s protocol on attending class while awaiting COVID-19 testing results was not clear to her and her roommate.

“My roommate explained the situation to the professor and still wasn’t able to get her absences excused when she couldn’t come. So I would assume that like in that situation, that professor would probably also not excuse a wait time,” Foster said. “So I think it just depends, but I don’t know that that’s in the policy. And if it is, I don’t know that the professors know that.” 

 The Coronavirus Resource Center website dictates that students should stay home while experiencing symptoms, and communicate with professors on making up work. 

“Students should follow their instructor’s policy for making up coursework, as needed, which may include attending class remotely or completing work by other means,” the website says.

D.C. Health told The Hoya that their priority is to make COVID-19 tests accessible to all residents of D.C. 

“DC Health is also focused on ensuring equitable access to test kits for those who may not have the resources to purchase them by placing the test kits in libraries with the highest foot traffic in all eight Wards.”