Geneseo announced that all students who have visited campus since Nov. 1 must take a COVID-19 test before returning home for Thanksgiving break to make sure that they are not spreading the virus via an email sent on Oct. 26. Available testing times will be from Monday Nov. 16 to Thursday Nov. 19 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday Nov. 20 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
According to Megan Syfrett, principal Student Health Administrator, ID card access is being used to determine which students have visited campus since Nov. 1. Students who are required to take the tests should have been notified by email already and must sign up for a test through the health portal, myhealth.geneseo.edu.
“This is then cross-checked with other students who, for example, complete their daily health survey and may be on campus or in Geneseo, but aren’t using their ID card for access,” Syfrett said in an email statement to The Lamron.
According to Syfrett, Geneseo receives pool testing results within 48 hours and if a sample has a positive test result it takes an additional 48 hours to identify which test it was. Thus, Syfrett said that students should get their tests no later than 4 days before leaving campus and no earlier than 5 days before leaving.
“For example, those leaving on move out date Nov. 25th, would test on Friday Nov. 20th,” Syfrett said.
According to Syfrett if a student tests positive they “do have the option of returning home if it is safe and agreed upon by the student and their family.”
“We encourage students who test positive to make decisions about where they should isolate that work best for them and their family. Students coming back to Geneseo after break do not need to get tested before doing so but they will participate in pooled testing during the week they return to Geneseo,” Syfrett said.
Geneseo’s new pooled testing requirement comes after SUNY announced that all students who live on campus, off-campus in Geneseo or visit campus for any reasons must be tested 10 days before the last day of on-campus instruction.
According to Syfrett, a student’s health insurance information is required but will only be used if the student is in a positive sample pool. After these tests, Syfrett said that students must remain vigilant in limiting close contact with others, use face masks and continue hand hygiene protocols at all times, both on campus and at home.
Students who do not register for tests or follow rules will receive disciplinary action such as deactivated cards access, restricted campus building access, removal of parking permits, inability to attend class and even an interim suspension as outlined in Section VI, according to Syfrett. She encourages students to keep following these safety guidelines and check their emails regularly.
“It is important to note that we have been successful this semester with keeping our COVID-19 cases low because students have been following the safety protocols,” Syfrett said.