Speed-testing experiment at Zernike expanded
25 percent of students got tested
Speed-testing experiment at Zernike expanded
Door Giulia Fabrizi
By Giulia Fabrizi
Giulia Fabrizi
Van uit de hand gelopen studentenfeestjes tot bezette universiteitsgebouwen en van kamertekorten tot dreigende bezuinigingen: Giulia houdt al het nieuws in de gaten. Ze praat graag met de mensen die het aangaat, schrijft erover en begeleidt freelancers bij het maken van nieuwsartikelen. Eerder werkte ze als stadsredacteur Groningen en gemeenteverslaggever Haren voor Dagblad van het Noorden.All in all, 323 UG, Hanze University of Applied Sciences, and Noorderpoort College students got tested. It’s unclear how many students tested positive for the coronavirus, as the institutes refuse to divulge this information.
‘We’re very proud to be the first in the Netherlands to have accomplished this feat’, says UG spokesperson Riepko Buikema. ‘We’re happy with the way the students who got tested responded. They consider this the first small step towards normal life at the university.’
Expansion
During the first phase of the experiment, only students who were doing an on-site exam were invited to be tested. Now, the experiment is focusing on three different groups. In addition to students and invigilators present at on-site exams, they’ll also be inviting students and lecturers who are involved in practical classes, as well as students who’ve reserved a study spot like the ones at the UB.
‘We’re considering inviting larger groups, since we’re able to process more students than we’ve been seeing’, says Buikema. It’s unclear with how many people they’ll be expanding the experiment. ‘At full capacity, we can process 450 students a day. We’ve not had to operate at full capacity yet. It’s a delicate balance to strike: on the one hand, we don’t want people to wait in line, but it’s a shame if we don’t make full use of our resources.’
Compelled
The UG spokesperson doesn’t know if people can be compelled to get tested. ‘The National Health Council has issued a recommendation concerning where enforced tested can take place and under which circumstances. We’re investigating the legal options and ramifications and will check those against the recommendation’, says Buikema.
The legal framework and data such as the percentage of people showing up to get tested, will then be collected in a report. The ministry of Education expects a report with the experiment’s findings as well as the recommendation of the three institutes participating in the experiment by late April.