Students involved in certain programs, courses or extracurricular activities may have to be tested for COVID-19 more frequently than initial testing requirements, Dr. Aaron Carroll, IU’s director of mitigation testing, said Wednesday in a webinar.
Additional testing could be added after a discussion between program and class instructors and IU’s public health team, IU spokesperson Chuck Carney said in an email. He said IU will consider testing for programs and groups if concerns arise.
Students who would be exposed more often to other people and in closer spaces through university activities and courses may be required to test multiple times a week. Carroll said students involved in dance are an example of a group that can experience increased testing.
“We have implemented regular testing in order to provide another level of safety on top of what is going on,” Carroll said.
Related: [UPDATE FEB. 10: IU reports 0.2% on-arrival COVID-19 testing positivity rate]
The information was discussed after a student living in a residence hall asked about how she was required to test up to four times in a week for her university-sponsored extracurricular.
In an effort to reach 50,000 COVID-19 tests per week across all campuses, IU is selecting all undergraduate students for coronavirus tests at least once a week. Students in on-campus communal living, such as residence halls or greek houses, will be tested twice a week.
Carroll said the university is looking for ways to add more in-person activities and events safely. He said one way to do that is through increased testing.
