Members of the Boston College community will now be expected to complete their own COVID-19 PCR test if they are unable to complete surveillance testing on campus, according to an email from Director of University Health Services Douglas Comeau.
Results must be uploaded to the patient record in the Health Services tab through Agora Portal by 5 p.m. on Fridays, and an email must be sent to the COVID-19 testing center to verify their receipt of the test result.
Last week, five undergraduate students tested positive for COVID-19 out of 6,670 tests, a positivity rate of .07 percent. Another two non-undergraduates tested positive out of 1,557 tests, a positivity rate of .13 percent.
In an Oct. 14 email to the student body, Vice President for Student Affairs Shawna Cooper-Gibson reminded students that testing is the key to minimizing the spread of COVID-19 on campus.
Students who fail to comply with testing may face a variety of consequences, ranging from a hold on their student account and Canvas page to disciplinary sanctions, the email said. Missing multiple tests may lead to restricted privileges, including limiting guest registration and future housing.
“[I]t is important to remember that testing is required and remains a critical component in our ongoing effort to protect the health and safety of our campus community,” Cooper-Gibson wrote. “While recent results are good, we must remain attentive and not become complacent as we continue to learn to live with the coronavirus.”
Featured Image by Stephen Mooney / Heights Staff
