University of Alabama students are beginning to arrive in Tuscaloosa and on campus for the August 19 start of fall semester classes. Preparation for their return, however, and that of UA faculty and staff, have been ongoing for months, since last spring when the Covid-19 pandemic hit.
As a member of the advisory committee created by UA President Stuart Bell, I have seen and been part of the tremendous planning that has already occurred for a safe return to campus, work that will continue with the important and primary goal of keeping students, employees and the city of Tuscaloosa safe.
A key component of the safe-return-to-campus plan is testing. Faculty, staff and students must be tested for Covid-19 and be virus free before they can return. Toward that end, the College of Community Health Sciences spent eight days in late July testing faculty and staff at UA’s Coleman Coliseum, and testing continues this month at UA’s Northeast Medical Building. We are using the best point-of-care test currently on the market, with results back in 15 minutes, and we have found the test is performing exceptionally well. Though CCHS is not conducting student testing, students are being tested on campus with a PCR test and results are back within a short period of time.
Testing for UA students, and other college students across the state, is being paid for by a $30 million grant from the Alabama Governor’s Office received through the federal CARES Act. The University is covering the cost of faculty and staff testing.
As the fall semester continues, CCHS will conduct sentinel testing – regular testing of approximately 4% of faculty, staff and students across campus. This will help us keep informed about Covid-19 infection rates on campus and help identify potential virus hotspots. In addition, University Medical Center, which the College operates, will continue to provide daily Covid-19 testing for those exhibiting symptoms and who need a rapid result.
Other important components of the safe-return-to-campus plan are face coverings, which are required in all UA buildings and residential housing, and social distancing. UA employees requiring personal protective equipment to carry out their job responsibilities will be provided necessary PPE.
Students and employees will be required to complete web-based training about Covid-19 safety and the protocols that have been implemented on campus. They will also have to sign up for an online health tracker and, on a regular basis, input information and any symptoms they might be experiencing.
CCHS has also launched a Covid-19 Call center to help answer questions about the virus from those on campus, and to conduct Covid-19 contact tracing. Contact tracing involves identifying people who have the virus and those they have been in close contact with and asking those people to isolate or quarantine voluntarily. The Covid-19 Call Center number is (205) 348-CV19 or (205) 348-2819.
The University of Alabama is committed to protecting students, faculty and staff and having a safe and healthy semester. It is important, too, that everyone who returns to campus does their part. If we all work together and follow the health and safety protocols that have been put in place, I believe we will have an awesome semester.
The College of Community Health Sciences operates University Medical Center