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USU Prepares To Expand Mass Student Testing This Week

Wikimedia

  

Under the state public health order, college and university students attending at least one in-person class are to be tested for COVID-19 each week. Utah State University is preparing to increase student testing this week.

“For on campus students the testing will be done on campus at the student center. So it won’t be a hard place to access, the testing is actually going to go very smoothly," Amanda DeRito said. "They’ll sign up for a time and then they won’t have to worry about waiting in line.”

DeRito is the director of crisis communications and issues management at Utah State University. She said the university is working to ensure students are tested for COVID-19 in the easiest way possible.

USU will be testing all on-campus students starting on Wednesday, and all students living off-campus starting on Monday. This comes after Gov. Gary Herbert’s announcement that all college students are to be tested weekly for COVID-19.

DeRito said the school plans to have students self-swab their own nose with a short swab.

“I know there are a lot of fears about the deeper nasal swabbing, which they will not have to do. So it’s not really even uncomfortable," she said. "It’s pretty easy, and it doesn’t take that long. It’s a pretty simple process."

Along with weekly testing, Gov. Herbert also called on the public to wear masks and for the next two weeks keep social gatherings to household-only and cancel in-person extracurricular and sporting events for the next two weeks. 

DeRito said the university strongly encourages students to contribute to following the rules set to slow the spread of the virus.

More information about how to set up an appointment to get tested will be provided by the university shortly.