Ohio State released guidelines Monday for off-campus students returning to the campus area for spring semester, which includes weekly testing. Students stand in line to get tested fall semester. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Assistant Photo Editor
As Ohio State students enjoy their winter break, they’ll prepare to return to campus in January with all the same COVID-19 procedures and restrictions — plus a few extra.
A Monday email from the Office of Student Life stated off-campus students will be required to test weekly for COVID-19 at Jesse Owens North and should self-sequester for 10 days before resuming in-person activities in the campus area.
“Sequestering means staying in your residence as much as possible,” the email states. “The goal is to limit exposure to any other person, including your family members or roommates. If you must be near others, you should wear a mask even indoors.”
According to the email, students who live on campus should also self-sequester for 10 days before returning to residence halls. Sequestering also includes cooking one’s own food or having takeout delivered. The email states that if students need to leave their sequestering location, they should wear a mask at all times.
The sequestering guidelines apply to all undergraduate, graduate and professional students.
The university plans to conduct the first two weeks of spring semester virtually and return to in-person instruction Jan. 25.
Ohio State will continue to adhere to Gov. Mike DeWine’s guidance, along with that of state and local health experts and current COVID-19 case trends, to determine if the plans to return to campus need to change, according to the email.
Upon returning to the campus area, off-campus students should receive their first COVID-19 test of the semester at Jesse Owens North, after which weekly testing for the student will commence, according to the email. Off-campus students should schedule their appointments via the MyChart app, through which the university’s in-house testing is conducted.
According to the MyChart app, testing will start again Jan. 4.
