Nichols College, which expects to welcome students for the fall semester starting Aug. 26, said Friday it will provide free regular coronavirus testing for students, faculty and staff.
Free testing is part of the Dudley school’s plan to keep the campus community safe at a time when coronavirus cases across the region have remained low but spiked in many places elsewhere across the country. More than four out of five students hail from Massachusetts, Connecticut or Rhode Island, so the school has been keeping a close eye on cases regionally, the school said.
Nichols’ plan to return to campus this fall includes use of personal protective equipment, modifying classrooms and common areas to allow for social distancing, and stricter cleaning protocols.
Nichols has teamed up with the Broad Institute in Cambridge to supply test kits and process results. Resident students, student-athletes, and higher-risk individuals will be tested twice a week. Commuter students, faculty, staff, and contracted employees will be tested once a week.Â
Protocols are in place for self-isolation and contact tracing to follow positive test results. Nichols said it is incurring the cost of $25 to $30 per test for the estimated 350 tests per day.
