PALO ALTO, Calif. — Stanford University will test its students for the coronavirus every week regardless of vaccination status, the school announced Wednesday.
University officials cited the ongoing threat of the delta variant for its decision, making Stanford one of a handful of college campuses to do so, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
“Working together, we can monitor the prevalence of COVID-19 at Stanford, adjust requirements as needed, protect our friends and family, and keep campus as safe as possible for in-person learning and activities this summer and autumn,” Susie Brubaker, the university’s vice provost for student affairs, wrote in a note to students.
Stanford University to require weekly COVID testing, regardless of vaccination status https://t.co/xmSSMOsz5s
— Vallejo Times-Herald (@vjotimesherald) August 11, 2021
Students return to campus to prepare for classes beginning Sunday, the Chronicle reported.
Students who live on campus, live in off-campus housing provided by the university and people coming to campus will be required to register and test weekly with Color Genomics, the Times-Herald of Vallejo reported. Color Genomics is a company that will provide self-collection nasal swab kits to students. The kits can provide results within 24 hours, the newspaper reported.
There is no charge for the tests.
Stanford had already mandated face masks and vaccines for all returning students, the Chronicle reported.
All of California’s major universities are requiring vaccinations, according to the Times-Herald.
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