Councilor sounds alarm
Off-campus testing gap cited
Students living on college campuses this fall will have to follow a strict coronavirus testing regime, but at least one city official said she’s worried about the large number of off-campus students who won’t receive the same regular tests.
City Councilor Liz Breadon, who represents Allston and Brighton where many Boston University and Boston College students live, raised the concern about offcampus student testing in a letter to the presidents of BU and BC over the weekend.
“It is of great concern to residents of Allston-Brighton that off-campus students are already returning from numerous places around the country which are experiencing out-of-control surges in infections, and that many people are asymptomatic while spreading infection to others,” Breadon wrote to BU President Robert Brown and BC President William Leahy.
“It appears that off-campus students will not have the same level of access to quarantine facilities, medical support and monitoring as those living on campus,” she wrote. “The physical proximity of off-campus students to neighborhood residents increases the risk of community spread beyond the university campus.”
Breadon said she wants to “see a more robust plan to support the health and wellness of students living off campus, and an enforceable code of conduct, not just for student’s safety but that of the community at large.”
BU students started moving back onto campus this weekend, with thousands to return to dormitories over the next two weeks. A “robust” testing program free to all students, faculty and staff is part of the college’s plan to prevent the spread of COVID-19, BU spokesman Colin Riley said.
Students returning to campus will be tested twice weekly, Riley said. Those living off campus must “attest” they’re complying with public health guidelines but aren’t required to take frequent tests.
“Many students who live off-campus and have 12month leases remained in Boston since the spring so they’ve been here throughout. They’re members of the community,” Riley said in an email.
A BC official did not respond to a request for comment on Sunday.
Residents and officials in Somerville and Medford have raised similar concerns about Tufts University.
Throughout the semester, all Tufts students, whether living on or off campus, will be tested twice a week, as will employees and contractors in areas such as dining and custodial services. Student-facing faculty and staff will be tested once a week.
Tufts spokesman Patrick Collins said in a statement, “We believe our testing plan, with its mandatory inclusion of students living both onand off-campus (all of whom will be tested twice weekly) as well as student-facing faculty and staff is as extensive and comprehensive as any university’s plan in the country.”