As a way to maintain the spread of COVID-19 on campus, weekly testing will continue to be a requirement for all Quinnipiac University undergraduate students for the remainder of the spring semester, according to an email sent on March 25 by Dr. David Hill, senior medical adviser of the COVID-19 task force.
“I think it sends the message to students that this is important,” Hill said. “We’re all part of a community and in doing our part to contain COVID, we have to show up on a weekly basis to be tested.”
Hill said there was a letter signed by “dozens of parents and students” to the COVID-19 task force asking for weekly testing to be continued through April.
“It’s not only coming from us, as a task force, but it’s also coming from at least a portion of the student body,” Hill said.
Since cases were on the rise last semester, some students are relieved that weekly testing will continue.
“The more testing they can do the better,” said Alex Overzat, senior history major. “It provides a sense of security and catches problems before they spread; this is part of why I think last semester got as bad as it did.”
However, not all students are tested weekly. Graduate students are continuing to be tested at 15%.
“(Graduate students) tend to not be at highest risk and we’re really worried about cases spreading within the dorms,” Hill said.
In response to the “low level of new COVID-19 cases combined with recent state of Connecticut guidance that has eased some restrictions effective March 19,” Quinnipiac administration has slowly reopened spring activities and attendance at athletic events, according to a March 16, sent by Hill and Chief Experience Officer Tom Ellett.
In light of the pandemic hindering most traditional events throughout the last year, the task force “is looking constantly for ways to engage students in fun activities,” Hill said. “For example, in-person events, such as the reopening of the York Hill bar — On the Rocks — for St. Patrick’s Day and the men’s hockey game watch party at the field hockey stadium on March 27, have been available for students.
Some students, like Overzat, said having in-person events are OK since students are tested and some are vaccinated.
“I think it’s fine given the amount of people being tested, the rates dropping thanks to vaccines and the fact that young people like us are extremely unlikely to develop any serious sickness from the virus,” Overzat said. “It’s about time people started being allowed to live their lives again.”
The men’s ice hockey NCAA tournament game that was streamed March 27, at the field hockey stadium allowed students to sit, watch the game and spend time with others.
“It was a little disappointing when he showed up that they were like, ‘Oh hi it’s max capacity so you can’t come in’ but it’s not that bad because you can still go to the food trucks and still sit and watch,” said sophomore Kaylee Dillon.
Some students wished that the school changed some aspects of the event.
“I thought it was gonna be a bigger screen, but I guess if you’re inside you can see it,” sophomore Anna Scortichini said. “They could put more groups on the side of the field, I feel like everyone’s condensed in the middle.”
However, some students do not agree it is safe yet for larger in-person events to be happening amid the pandemic.
“Seems irresponsible because it’s literally packing a bunch of people in a small place,” said Joelle Gray, senior advertising major.
To address this concern, Hill said he is aware the pandemic is not yet over and the task force is still monitoring cases.
Some students recognize that, and said they are still just happy to be able to be on campus.
“They have been trying their best,” said Kayleigh Harris, freshman math major. “Not perfect, but at least they are trying and we are able to come to campus. Some of my friends haven’t even been able to be on campus at their respective schools.”
Additional reporting by Lauryn Yarnall.