The Ohio State University will now require all students on campus or in university-owned housing to agree to coronavirus testing or risk being asked to leave campus.
President-elect Kristina Johnson made that announcement on Tuesday. It’s part of a safety plan to keep students, faculty and staff safe from the coronavirus.
Students also are required to wear masks, class sizes have been reduced, and the move-in period was adjusted from a typical span of one to two days up to 12 days.
“We don’t want large crowds congregating,” said Dave Isaacs, spokesman for the OSU Office of Student Life. “We don’t want people too close together, and so this enables us to move it out, stretch it out, so that everybody can get in in time for the start of classes but still manage to come safely.”
Upon move-in, every student will receive a bag filled with disinfectant wipes, masks and a thermometer.
“Students will have to do a health check every day, just as faculty and staff will, answer a couple of questions and also take their temperature,” Isaacs said. “And, when they do, they’ll get a check mark that says, yes, they’re clear to come. If they don’t, then they will not be permitted to come on campus and that they need to seek medical attention.”
Dominic Frazee-Crawford, who was moving into Smith-Steeb Hall on Wednesday for his second year at OSU, said he felt fine about all of the new rules and felt safe about being on campus.
“I’m not really like concerned much about it, it’s just a thing of us following the protocols put in place,” he said “I know some people might not, but I feel like, due to having such a big campus, you’re going to have people like that, so I’ve already mentally prepared myself for all of that.”
When it comes to his dad, Russell Crawford, there may be a bit more anxiety at play.
“We just hope the best, whatever comes out of this, just hope the best,” he said. “It’s all new to me, too, it’s like the new normal now.”
The new mandatory testing will be required of every student and will happen daily on weekdays, according to OSU spokesman Ben Johnson. He was not able to say how many students would be randomly tested each day, but the process will be pool testing. That means groups of samples will be tested together. If it comes back negative, there will be no need for further testing. But if a pool test comes back positive, officials can then dig deeper, isolate the samples for more testing and track down those who may be positive for coronavirus. The process allows the university to test more people quickly.
“I think it’s going to help a lot because it will help control it right when it starts,” said freshman Dante Desalle. “It’s easier to stop it from spreading than after the fact when everybody finds out.”
Desalle got some help from his parents moving in on Wednesday. They both said they felt safe having their son on campus, but that did not mean they won’t be missing him.
“He’s my baby, so yeah, kinda sad, but happy and proud of him for making it this far,” Christine Desalle said.
And her son certainly had other things on his mind besides the new coronavirus safety rules.
“I’m just looking forward to starting a new life basically, making new friends and just getting to know the city and just get out of Sandusky, Ohio, for a little bit,” he said with a laugh.