Nichols College to provide free COVID-19 testing as part of comprehensive return-to-campus plan
Free Covid-19 testing for all
Dudley, MA (07/27/2020) — July 27, 2020
Nichols College to provide free COVID-19 testing as part of comprehensive return-to-campus plan
DUDLEY, Mass. - In careful preparation for its return to campus operations this fall, Nichols College has committed to providing free regular COVID-19 testing for students, faculty, and staff.
The testing is part of a comprehensive plan designed to help ensure the safety of the college community. Other initiatives include the incorporation of personal protection equipment, such as plexiglass shields and other modifications to classrooms and commons areas to promote social distancing, mask distribution, intensified cleaning protocols, and the responsibility for proper safety and hygiene expected of each community member.
Nichols has teamed up with the Broad Institute, a partnership of MIT and Harvard University, to supply test kits and process results. The tests will a self-administered nasal swab conducted in a designated campus testing center under the supervision of Nichols' health personnel. Resident students, student-athletes, and higher-risk individuals will be tested twice a week; commuter students, faculty, staff, and contracted employees will be tested once a week. Test results are expected within 24-48 hours. Protocols for self-isolation and contact tracing have been put in place.
Nichols is incurring the cost of $25-$30 per test for the estimated 350 tests per day.
"The continued health and safety of our college community is our primary concern," said Nichols College President Susan West Engelkemeyer, Ph.D. "Our plan, including a regular testing regime in combination with a range of universal safety practices, and protocols for any positive test results, is the most effective way to protect our community and afford students the educational experience they value and expect."
Since more than 80 percent of Nichols students hail from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, or Connecticut, the college also continues to monitor regional data on positive COVID-19 cases to inform ongoing plans to return to campus on August 26.
Nichols College
Susan Veshi, Susan.Veshi@nichols.eduShare this Story
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