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Syracuse University will test all students for the coronavirus over a four day period upon returning to campus, university officials said during a virtual information session Friday.

The university previously announced it would test groups of students through rapid pooled saliva testing upon arrival on campus and would conduct additional testing throughout the semester. About 20 students will make up each pool in the initial round of testing and will be grouped together based on their housing assignment, said Mike Haynie, vice chancellor for strategic initiatives and innovation, during Friday’s information session.

In total, the university plans to test over 17,000 community members through pool testing. SU will return students’ test results overnight, Haynie said.

“The sooner we catch the virus, the better we can respond to it,” said Ramesh Raina, interim vice president for research, during the information session. “We’re lucky to have a team of experts on our campus.”

Any individuals in a pool that tests positive for COVID-19 will receive 30-minute rapid testing at the Barnes Center at The Arch.

The university may have to adjust certain operations if a COVID-19 outbreak occurs on campus, Haynie said. SU may restrict access to certain residence halls where the virus has spread, scale back dining hall or gym operations, or — in extreme circumstances — pause residential instruction for a short period until the university can control the outbreak.

SU would only suspend in-person classes for the remainder of the semester in “an instance of infection on the campus that we can’t control,” Haynie said.

If a student tests positive for COVID-19, the university will relocate them to isolation housing regardless of whether they live on-campus, Haynie said. Students in isolation housing can be around and share bathrooms with other students who have tested positive, he said.

The university’s contact tracing team will identify close contacts of individuals who test positive and will relocate them to quarantine housing — which is separate from isolation housing — for 14 days. Individuals in quarantine housing will have their own dorm room and bathroom.

University officials did not confirm where SU will house isolated and quarantined students.

All students and faculty members will receive personal protective equipment — including masks, sanitation supplies and a thermometer— upon arrival on campus, Haynie said. Students will use face shields in laboratory classes where it is difficult to maintain social distancing.

“The number one thing we can do to mitigate possible transmission of the virus on our campus is to require masks at all times,” Haynie said. “At the end of the day, we have to drive home the message that it’s a communal responsibility.”

The university is also developing an online dashboard to monitor its data related to COVID-19, including test results. The dashboard will not include any personal information and will be updated “routinely,” Haynie said.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s has ordered individuals traveling to New York state from 20 states with high COVID-19 infection rates to self-quarantine for 14 days. SU is working with government officials and other universities to evaluate the impact of the order, and Haynie hopes to reach a compromise with state officials. The university doesn’t have space to adequately quarantine all students traveling from these states, he said.

SU has already announced plans for a wastewater surveillance program to monitor for traces of the virus in university facilities. By monitoring the wastewater in residence halls and certain academic, athletic and dining facilities for traces of COVID-19, SU hopes to mitigate the spread of the virus across campus, Haynie said.

The university will now encourage students who are not feeling well to take their classes virtually.

“You should not be compelled to show up if you feel your presence is unsafe or your presence will make someone else unsafe,” said J. Cole Smith, dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Sciences, during the information session.

Published on July 10, 2020 at 8:35 pm

Contact Mira: mlberenb@syr.edu