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Testing access, student vaccination rate, exposure policy: Your campus COVID-19 questions answered

Update as of 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 9: In today’s update to the Danforth Campus COVID-19 Dashboard, the University reported 33 active cases, with 28 among students and five among faculty and staff.
With 18 active COVID-19 cases on campus according to the Danforth Campus COVID-19 Dashboard’s Sept. 3 update, Student Life sat down on Tuesday with two Washington University administrators, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Anna Gonzalez and Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Support and Wellness Kirk Dougher, to ask questions raised by the University community. Here are three of the big takeaways.
Can students access COVID-19 testing from the University?
Yes, free asymptomatic testing is available for all students in room 239 at the Danforth University Center, though the University has not advertised it.
“It is free for undergrad[uate] and grad[uate students],” Gonzalez said. “We just want to make sure that the testing is to find out if you have it, but not preventative of bad behavior.”
Gonzalez and Dougher both stressed that they did not want the access to testing to affect student behavior. They emphasized the importance of preventative measures like masking and distancing over asymptomatic testing as a reactionary measure. Dougher also noted that some administrators are concerned that the testing site could get overloaded with students arriving for asymptomatic testing.
Many students have been under the impression that asymptomatic testing is only available at a cost. The misconception stemmed from the only previously advertised resource for asymptomatic testing being the Kingshighway site, where tests cost $50. The University COVID-19 response information page does not communicate that asymptomatic testing is available for students free of charge on the Danforth Campus. It mentions that free symptomatic testing will be provided for the University community.
What is the vaccination rate for the student population?
It is at least 96% currently, with the expectation that it will eventually be above 99%, Dougher said.
He clarified that the vaccination rate is currently a “rolling number” as the deadline to submit documentation was pushed back and a number of students are still waiting on their second doses.
“We have… 100% compliance for students living on campus,” Gonzalez said. “They are in compliance: either having some exemptions and other testing or they’re fully vaccinated.”
What should asymptomatic students do if they are exposed to COVID-19?
Students can either take the screening at screening.wustl.edu or just call Habif directly, the administrators said.
“Call Habif and they will [talk] you through those conversations and then even the contact tracing,” Gonzalez said, encouraging students to not try to navigate contact tracing and potential exposure on their own.
“As per CDC guidelines, [asymptomatic] vaccinated contacts do not need to quarantine,” Dougher said, adding that Habif will communicate higher levels of guidance regarding masking, distancing and testing to exposed students.
The CDC currently defines close contacts as someone who is within six feet for a total of 15 minutes or more within two days prior to illness onset regardless of mask wearing.
Orli Sheffey contributed reporting.