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HEALTH-VIRUS-BRITAIN
Scotland begins student virus tests before Christmas
ST ANDREWS, United Kingdom, Nov 29, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – As an unusual
term comes to a close and Christmas holidays draw closer, students at
the University of St Andrews in Scotland filed in and out of a sports
hall that has been transformed into a mass coronavirus testing centre.
“It’s a huge piece of mind just to be able to go home and be with my
family, knowing that everything is safe,” Fiona Waddell, a 19-year-old
psychology student said before the centre opens for testing on
Saturday.
“We’re lucky enough that we are able to be together at Christmas and
I just don’t want anything to compromise that,” she told AFP.
The centuries-old university on Scotland’s northeast coast has set
up the centre as part of a rollout of Covid-19 tests for students
across Scotland before the end of term.
The facility, where students self-test with one of the million
lateral flow test kits that have been provided to Scotland by the UK
government, has the capacity for 1,500 students each day.
It will remain open until December 18 with students who plan to
return home for the festive break asked to take two tests three days
apart.
The UK government in London, which sets health policy for England,
and the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern
Ireland have unveiled plans to allow students to return home for
Christmas.
All want to minimise the chance of spreading the virus as they travel.
Students in England and Wales have been asked to return home during
a week-long travel window after taking coronavirus tests.
In Scotland a staggered return is planned across the seven-day window.
– ‘Good opportunity’ –
Alastair Merrill, vice-principal for governance at St Andrews, said
the asymptomatic testing initiative meant when students returned home
they can “keep their families and communities safe when they do so”.
Results from the lateral flow tests are shown within 30 minutes and
processed and sent to students within 24 hours.
A survey by the St Andrews Students’ Association found some 80 per
cent of students are planning to go home for the holidays.
Rebecca Clunie, a 22-year-old chemistry student, who swabbed her
throat and the back of her nose to self-administer the test, said
taking the test earlier meant she could self-isolate before going home
— if that was necessary.
“Even if it is positive I’ve still got time to self-isolate before I
have to go home,” she explained.
Anna-Ruth Cockerham, a 20-year-old studying mathematics, said it was
going to be good to get home after a term where social interaction had
been limited because of the virus.
“I think as well many students, myself included, haven’t had the
opportunity to really mix with other people so to be able to go home
and see your family is a good opportunity,” she added.
BSS/AFP/MRU/0850hrs