University to offer tests before break

COVID: Home-bound St Andrews students to be tested

All St Andrews University students will be offered Covid-19 tests before leaving the town for Christmas.

The university will open its own testing centre this month. Those testing negative will be urged to leave within 24 hours.

The announcement came as Fife Council co- leader David Ross questioned the effectiveness of current Tier 3 restrictions.

He said: “I very much hope that Fife doesn’t follow the same trajectory as some of the west of Scotland, where the Tier 3 restrictions don’t work effectively and we have to move into Tier 4.”

Meanwhile, the Scottish Government said the first vaccinations against the disease will take place next month.

It is hoped one million people will be vaccinated by the end of January, with frontline NHS staff and care workers treated first.

St Andrews University students will be offered free Covid -19 tests before they head home to visit family at Christmas.

People without symptoms will be able to get a test whether or not they plan to leave St Andrews over the festive break.

They will be voluntary but students have been strongly advised to take them as young people are more likely to have no symptoms, even if they have the virus.

The university plans to open a testing centre at its own sports centre by November 30.

Students will be offered a lateral flow test, which involves taking a swab from the mouth and nose in a process that takes just a few minutes.

Results will be received within 24 hours.

The Scottish Government recommends taking two tests a few days apart to have the greatest level of confidence that students are not infectious with Covid before they leave St Andrews.

Anyone who tests positive will be asked to take a different test at the Covid testing centre in St Andrews to confirm the result and should self-isolate.

The university is urging anyone who tests negative to travel as soon as possible, ideally within 24 hours, to minimise the risk of picking up the virus before they go.

St Andrews has maintained one of the best records in the UK for keeping Covid levels low, with fewer than 100 people testing positive since September 1 within a student community of more than 9,000.

There has been no evidence on any transmission among students in the classroom or from students to the wider community.