St Andrews and Edinburgh to begin mass Covid testing

The universities of St Andrews and Edinburgh have both announced that they will begin the mass-testing of students for Covid-19 ahead of the Christmas holidays.

Both institutions plan to open up testing bases in their sports centres from Monday 30 November.

This comes as the Scottish government announced for asymptomatic testing of students to enable them to go home for Christmas.

St Andrews will offer free Covid-19 tests to its students before they travel, with results received within 24 hours.

The university has one of the best records in the UK for Covid levels, with fewer than 100 testing positive since 1 September within a student community of more than 9000. Its response to managing the risks of Covid has been described by Public Health Scotland as “exemplary”.

A recent survey by the St Andrews Students’ Association revealed that approximately 80% of St Andrews students were planning to go home over Christmas.

Edinburgh urges students who want to travel home in the UK for the break to get tested, particularly those with vulnerable family members or those who intend to use public transport.

Announcing plans for the testing programme at the Scottish Parliament, Higher Education Minister Richard Lochhead said that students are being recommend to take two tests, five days apart.

 

Lateral flow tests to be offered on a “voluntary basis to all students who are returning home.”

 

– Scottish Higher Education Minister Richard Lochhead

 

Those with a positive result will be offered the more sensitive PCR test, which is used in the main Covid-19 testing programme, for confirmation, and asked to self-isolate if they are confirmed to be positive.

If the tests are negative, students will be encouraged to continue to observe hygiene rules, as to travel as soon as possible to minimise the pick of pickig up Covid.

Mr Lochhead said that the lateral flow tests will be offered on a “voluntary basis to all students who are returning home.”

He said: “Across the country our universities and colleges have been quick to sign up to organise the voluntary testing of their students as part of a UK-wide pilot, and I would like to thank them for their support in this huge national effort to keep our young people, and their families, safe over the holiday season.

“In the meantime, until the testing is available, it is extremely important that students, particularly those in levels three and four, remain in their term-time accommodation if they are able to, in line with our guidance on visits home.”