November 11, 2020 10.15 am This story is over 46 months old

Lincoln students will be mass tested before going home for Christmas

Over a two-week period
Flat 131 letting people know they're isolating. | Photo: The Lincolnite
By Local Democracy Reporter

Students at the University of Lincoln could be mass tested for COVID-19 at the end of November, before being sent home for Christmas in a staggered manner.

The BBC is reporting that a letter from the universities minister to vice chancellors has called for all students to be tested between November 30 and December 6.

Much like the trial in Liverpool, mass testing will see everyone COVID-19 tested, even if they aren’t displaying symptoms, and get their results within the hour.

It will more than likely take place at Lincoln’s new walk-in testing centre off Tritton Road, next to the Brayford campus.

After mass testing, the government hopes to use a ‘window of return’ between December 3 and 9 to get students home for Christmas.

They will only be allowed to leave if they test negative, whereas a positive test will mean a student will have to get another test and self-isolate meanwhile.

Students will be allowed to stay on campus if they want, whether by personal choice or for course requirements, placements or extra studies.

No specific details have been confirmed with the University of Lincoln, but it promised to update students as soon as new information is available.

A spokesperson for the University of Lincoln said: “We are pleased that this morning the government announced its commitment to enable students to return home for the Christmas break.

“We will now be working through the guidance as soon as we receive the details from the Department for Education and in the next few days we will be providing all you need to know to plan your return home if you wish to.”

Meanwhile, the number of coronavirus cases at the University of Lincoln has dropped by around half in a week.

Last week that 163 students and five staff tested positive for coronavirus. This has since dropped by around 55% to 70 students and four staff.

Lincolnshire County Council’s Director of Public Health Professor Derek Ward said last week that students “are doing a fantastic job with isolating”.