Students walk into Jesse Owens North Rec Center to be tested for COVID-19. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor
Ohio State will start twice-weekly testing for both on- and off-campus students Monday.
In a universitywide email Tuesday, University President Kristina M. Johnson said the university will require twice-a-week testing for on- and off-campus students “for the next few weeks” as a preventative measure due to the circulation of several COVID-19 variants that are more contagious and can cause more serious illness. The message comes before Ohio State’s second two-day instructional break, the first of which resulted in increased positivity rates in the period following Feb. 23-24, Johnson said.
Johnson said the variants are trending toward becoming dominant among cases at the university.
“The identification of variants on campus was expected, based on activity seen elsewhere and because viruses routinely change through mutation. What can we do to respond? The key is to remain committed to our safe and healthy behaviors that we know will help keep the virus from spreading on campus and in our community. We cannot let our positivity rates, which at this point remain low, increase,” Johnson said.
Ohio State switched to twice-a-week testing for on-campus students March 8 after the on-campus seven-day positivity rating was more than 1 percent March 2. The university switched back to once-a-week testing for on-campus students March 19.
Related: Some South Campus students say twice weekly COVID-19 testing a burden
“Columbus campus students who live on campus, attend in-person classes, visit campus for any reason or interact with other students and campus community members” can begin scheduling two tests per week beginning April 5 through the MyChart app.
Johnson advised everyone in the campus community to get vaccinated as soon as possible, avoid large gatherings and continue mask-wearing, social distancing and frequent hand-washing.
“There is a finish line, and though reaching it won’t be a straight line, we can get there with continued Safe and Healthy Buckeye behavior,” Johnson said. “By being proactive and careful now, just like we have all year, we are more likely to go back to a more normal college life – enjoying commencement with friends and family and, yes, cheering on the Buckeye football team at Ohio Stadium.”
