Students attending in-person classes over the summer will require health screenings, administrator said.
By Sergio Medina
smedina104@student.alamo.edu
The five Alamo Colleges and its district support operations, or DSO, will begin offering free Covid-19 testing for students and employees May 10.
Courtesy
Per an email sent to students and employees May 3, the district is working in tandem with Community Labs to administer the testing.
No insurance is needed.
The self-administered test is only for asymptomatic people. The test comprises the insertion of a nose swab, and it takes about a minute to complete.
The district published a video tutorial on the testing process.
Though walk-ins are accepted, students and employees can schedule an appointment here.
Upon reserving a time slot at the desired college campus, the website will prompt the user to either sign in or create an account. This account can be used to reschedule or cancel appointments, as well as review test results, which become available 24 hours after testing.
In a May 5 interview, Kristi Wyatt, vice chancellor of communications and engagement, said the website will ask the user if they are interested in recurrent tests at the same time and day, weekly.
Once scheduled, the user is sent an email confirmation for the testing appointment. Students and employees must bring this confirmation and an ID, which could be school- or state-issued.
Furthermore, students and employees will be asked to provide the date of birth and phone number used to schedule the appointment.
The colleges will offer testing at the following times, days and building locations:
- Northeast Lakeview: 10-11:30 a.m. Tuesdays in the performing arts center.
- Northwest Vista: 1-2:30 p.m. Tuesdays in Room 119 of Mountain Laurel Hall.
- Palo Alto: 10-30 a.m.-noon Mondays in Room 130 of the student center.
- St. Philip’s: 1-2:30 p.m. Mondays in Watson Fine Arts Center.
- St. Philip’s Southwest Campus: 1-2:30 p.m. Fridays in the main hall of Building 1.
- San Antonio College: 8-9:30 a.m. Tuesdays in the lobby of Moody Learning Center.
- DSO: 8:30-10 a.m. Mondays in the lobby of the board room.
The testing will also help the district keep track of infections onsite for consideration of future precautions, Wyatt said.
In April, the district announced the increase of in-person attendance on premises to 50% throughout the summer.
Wyatt said the district is aiming to raise the cap to 75% in the fall and will release more details to students and employees later in the month.
A Level 5 risk imposed by the district capped in-person attendance to 5% for the spring, following the highest spike in the Covid-19 pandemic between November and January, the holiday season.
During the summer, health screening and temperature checks will be required for all students and employees entering the premises. Wyatt said those cleared of any Covid-19 symptoms will be given a wristband to signal they are healthy before allowing them on campus.
She said these screenings must be done every time a student or employee visits a campus for the first time.
Each college will update their website with health-screening information and locations over the summer, she said.
For more information on plans to return to campus, go here.
