SALT LAKE CITY — After Gov. Gary Herbert declared a new state of emergency in early November to battle a rising tide of coronavirus cases, Utah's public colleges and universities were instructed to develop a plan to test all in-person students for the virus at least once a week.
But under a new plan released earlier this week by the Utah System of Higher Education, that requirement is gone. Rather, students will all be tested when the semester begins, and then the institutions will conduct randomized surveillance testing and testing of symptomatic students after that.
The new plan was developed after the state released an updated Public Health Order in mid-December that removed a requirement for college and university students to be tested at least once every 14 days. The testing plan applies to students who live in on-campus housing or are taking at least one class in person this semester.