GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) — In the week since UW – Green Bay students returned to campus, heavy coronavirus testing has been underway.
“For our students who live in campus housing, it is mandated every two weeks,” Gail Sims-Aubert, Interim Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs & Campus Climate said.
First year Macayla Soyk has already been a part of that testing.
“I got tested last Thursday, negative,” she told Local 5.
When tests do come back postive, campus officials say they are prepared.
In a normal year, about 2,000 students would call campus home.
This semester that number is down to about 1,500.
“We have de-densified that this fall so that we could have space available for isolation and quarantine housing if it were to be needed,” Sims-Aubert explained.
Any student who tests positive is placed in isolation housing.
“They are restricted from going anywhere,” Sims-Aubert said. “All of their meals are brought to them, we make sure that they have all of their academic accommodations met, there is somebody checking in on them on a daily basis.”
Besides testing, students and staff are being asked to follow safety guidelines and continue social distancing.
“A lot of us kids we’re just trying to live here and stuff so we’re all just abiding by the rules,” Soyk said.
Soyk says after her senior year of high school was cut short by the pandemic, she’s happy to start her college career on campus.
“I did speak to a couple people that have gone here years beforehand and first year usually there’s a lot of activities going on, getting to know people,” she said.
Most orientation activities were held virtually this year – just like some classes.
“It’s kind of an adjustment,” Soyk said. “But hey, at least I’m here and I have two classes online out of five so that’s better than nothing.”
That’s an attitude Sims-Aubert says seems to be common around campus.
“Happy to be back together, to be on campus,” she said.
Soyk agreed, “We don’t want to be sent home, you know?”
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