The University of Sussex has launched a mass COVID-19 testing program and is calling on students to undertake tests before travelling back home in the United Kingdom and beyond for winter holidays.
University leaders have delivered a message to students announcing that they have been told that the university will be part of the mass asymptomatic testing program of the government, which is designed for people who do not show COVID-19 symptoms, Erudera College News reports.
“It is really important that you take the two tests to be as certain as possible that you do not have the virus and so can safely re-join your families,” the message addressed to students reads.
The testing program’s main purpose is to support students on travelling safely to their home countries during the winter vacations.
Students are asked to take two tests during a four-day period, whereas the testing will be carried out between November 30 and December 11 on campus. Students who take the two tests and result negative in both will be required to travel home as soon as possible if they are planning to do so.
All those students who receive the negative results from both tests and are planning to head to their home countries must do it within the “student travel window” between December 3 and 9.
Whereas, the testing results will be available within 45 minutes. According to the statement, it is important for students to undertake these two tests and if testing negative to re-join their families soon.
“These are rapid turnaround tests that can process Covid-19 samples on-site without the need for laboratory equipment, with most generating results in under half an hour,” the statement reads.
Students who receive positive results in their first test should take a second test which will be processed in the laboratory.
The UK government has lately published the guidance which allows university students in the United Kingdom to travel home for Christmas once the national restrictions end on December 2.
The University of Sussex is located in the south of England and accommodates students from 100 different countries. It has a total of 16,820 students, of which 76 per cent are from the UK or EU, and 24 per cent are overseas students.