Med Pro Staffing employees Arlen Vega and Jessica Marante clean COVID-19 testing station on Sep. 22. COVID-19 tests are administered weekly to all on-campus students in the Pavia Garage. Photo credit: Ally Gaddy
As the University of Miami struggles to keep its COVID-19 cases down, testing facilities across campus continue to monitor the status of UM’s faculty, students and staff. UM has prioritized student testing, mandating weekly tests for all students taking on-campus classes, while some staff have been told to test only when exhibiting symptoms.
“It’s by choice,” said Benadette Jones, a UM COVID observer at the Pavia Garage testing facility. “I’ve been tested, I’m good, but as far as everybody else, I don’t know if everybody’s been tested.”
Wanting to be cautious, transfer student Whitney Kripsak delayed her arrival on campus until mid-September. Nevertheless, she tested positive for the virus in early November, which meant having to quarantine in Mahoney Residential College.
“Testing positive was a bit of a shock,” said Kripsak, who previously attended Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York. “Thankfully, I had little to no symptoms.”
Audriana Edwards, of Med Pro Staffing, prepares to administer a COVID-19 test in Pavia Garage on Sept. 22, 2020. Photo credit: Ally Gaddy
Kripsak said she followed the rules and never left her room. But not all quarantined students cooperated, she said.