The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Team ready to deal with St Andrews residents’ Covid rules breach tipoffs.
St Andrews’ steps to keep students and public safe include rapid response team
A rapid response team to deal with any suspected coronavirus infection has been unveiled by St Andrews University.
New measures setting out expectations on mask wearing, social distancing, self-isolation and respecting public health guidance aim to give reassurance when hundreds of students return to the Fife town on September 14.
St Andrews residents will be given a single point of contact to report incidents and the team will also provide rapid assistance with contact tracing.
The news comes after Scottish Government plans for the country’s first walk-in test centre in the town centre.
Residents and university staff have previously told of safety concerns when students arrive from all over the world.
North East Fife Liberal Democrat MSP Willie Rennie said the government must back up the measures by ensuring all international students are tested on arrival and again after five days.
Students with a place in university halls who must quarantine on arrival in the UK are being given two weeks of free accommodation by the university.
Principal Professor Sally Mapstone said: “The walk-in test centre and the university’s Covid rapid response team are two good examples of how shared resources and social responsibility can help keep St Andrews safe.
“I recognise there are anxieties in St Andrews about the return of our students and I want to assure our neighbours we take those concerns seriously and have put in place a raft of measures to address them.
“We won’t always get it right first time but with support and feedback from our students, staff and local community, I am confident we have the opportunity to model how collective responsibility can ensure community safety.”
Students’ association president Dan Marshall said every student will get a copy of the Covid code.
They are also being made available to local businesses and organisations.
“Breaches of the guidance, whether on university property or around the town, will be treated as a disciplinary matter,” he said.
Mr Rennie said: “The Scottish Government needs to back them up with tests for the hundreds of international students about to arrive in the town.
“The first minister told me this week that a revised policy for universities would be published on Tuesday.
“If it does not include the expanded testing policy I support it will be taking an unnecessary risk with our safety.”
The public can contact the university’s Covid helpdesk for advice or report concerns on 01334 464146 or email covidhelp@st-andrews.ac.uk