UNC to expand testing, quarantine locations to accommodate return of students for spring semester
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is ramping up COVID-19 precautions for the spring semester. The university will open three new testing sites on campus.
The university is working to prevent a repeat of what happened in the beginning of the fall semester.
The new self-administered coronavirus testing sites will help more students and staff get tested, get quicker results and contain any spread of the virus.
Freshman year for Riley Carpinteri and Drew Adams has been a whirlwind.
“When we got kicked out, I had to find an apartment in three days, so it was a little crazy,” said Carpinteri, referring to the university's move to shift students from on-campus living and in-person classes to remote after cases surged as the fall semester began.
To avoid a repeat, the university is ironing out re-entry plans for the spring.
Officials said the new, large testing facilities will allow 15 to 18 people to get tested at a time with a self-administered, noninvasive nasal swab. The plan is for the test results to be released within 24 hours.
“They’ve had time to see what other schools are doing, see what works and hasn’t. I think they’ve kind of taken that into consideration for spring," added Carpinteri.
In the spring, UNC will also expand quarantine and isolation dorm spaces to four or five times their current capacity.
“I think that’ll be great to make campus more safe,” said senior Jasmine Marshall.
Students feel hopeful with these added precautions. Still, they’re monitoring the current surge in COVID cases statewide and wishing for the best.
“I think there are still some concerns and everything, but, if they think that it’s safe for us to do it, then I’m excited about the potential to actually learn not online,” said Adams.
The university also plans to open up its own testing lab by mid-December to handle the large influx of expected testing.
Locations of the testing locations will be announced at a later date.
