Safer community app faq

An overview of the app can be found here. SHIELD CU COVID testing uses the Safer Community app, which can be downloaded on your smartphone. You are notified of your test results on the app. 

Download the app here:

Apple Store

Google Play Store

This app is used by the college to confirm all student and employee access eligibility for all Parkland facilities. 

It is imperative that if you have a Parkland email address, you use it to register your Safer Community app. Follow these set up instructions carefully. 

If you are testing weekly, do not change your user ID. If you are vaccinated, please use these app ID change instructions to update your Safer Community app user ID. 

The Safer Community app will work for you if you follow directions for your situation in the Reporting of Vaccination Status FAQ. If you are fully vaccinated and plan on using your vaccination status as your entry access to Parkland facilities, you must make sure the email address you submitted to Parkland when submitting your vaccination card matches the email address you used to register for the Safer Community app. 

Parkland College has chosen the Safer Community app (and the Safer Illinois app or Illinois app for University of Illinois affiliates) to ensure compliance with the governor's Executive Order. We are currently unable to offer other technical options for displaying vaccination or testing statuses. 

You will need to bring your negative test results from an IDPH or medical provider (including pharmacies) or your vaccine card to the COVID Help Desk to obtain a Parkland Buildings Day Pass every day you come to campus. The COVID Help Desk is located in room B124 with an exterior entrance located near the X2 entrance.

No. Report your vaccination status to Parkland College in the manner indicated on the Reporting of Vaccination Status FAQ. Parkland will then determine if you will receive facility access using your vaccination status. 

The app does not share any COVID testing information with Parkland. Parkland does not share any medical information with the app either. It only provides a list of email addresses and names of those individuals that should have the building access feature turned on.

The door checkers will look for a yellow square that appears around the QR code within the app. The yellow square appears around this box because either a person has been granted building access permissions by the college based on their fully vaccinated status or because they have had a negative SHIELD CU COVID test in the last 7 days. This yellow square will remain around the QR code on the app unless you test positive for COVID while testing at a SHIELD CU testing site. In this case, your square on the app will become red during the isolation period mandated by CUPHD. It turns back to yellow when your mandated isolation period ends. 

If a person has had a negative test within the last week, the square around the QR code within the app will be yellow. If a person has not tested in the last seven days or never tested at a SHIELD CU site, the box around the QR code within their app will be orange. If a person tests positive at a SHIELD CU site, their square would turn to red during the isolation period mandated by CUPHD before turning back to yellow. No other testing data is shared.

No, Parkland is not given any test results by OSF. The yellow square system, listed in the questions above, ensures that Parkland door checkers do not know whether a person has the appropriate access to the building because they have a negative test result or are fully vaccinated. Individuals with a red box around their QR code on the app, which indicates a positive COVID test, should not come to campus. 

Invalid results typically occur when non-optimal saliva samples are submitted. Before your next test, please be sure to refrain from eating, drinking, tooth brushing, mouth washing, or tobacco use for at least one hour prior to submitting your saliva sample. For best results, it is recommended to hydrate during the morning and get tested in the afternoon. 

First, try logging out and back into the Safer Community App to see if your test result has shown up. If a result does not show up after 48 hours, send an email to shield@osfhealthcare.org to determine the issue.

Please visit the COVID Help Desk in room B124 using the exterior entrance located near the X2 door.