Coronavirus: Mass testing of students begins at Edinburgh University ahead of Christmas holidays

Students are being encouraged to get tested twice – three days apart – before they return home for the winter break.

If both tests are negative, university leaders are urging students to travel home as soon as possible.

The asymptomatic testing site (ATS) – run in​ partnership with the Scottish Government and NHS Test and Protect – has the ability to process more than 3,600 tests per day and is also open to students at Edinburgh Napier University, Queen Margaret University and SRUC.

The lateral flow tests are available until Wednesday, December 9 at the Pleasance Sports Complex and the Main Games Hall at St Leonard's Land. The sites are open from 10am until 8pm.

In total, 250 staff per day are required to operate the testing sites, with an overall headcount of 490 staff, drawn from the University of Edinburgh and Edinburgh Napier University as well as external contract support for cleaning, queue management and security.

By 1pm on Monday, over 500 students had already been tested.

A spokesperson for the University of Edinburgh said: “In addition to limiting social mixing for two weeks prior to going home, the testing will help to break the chain of transmission amongst students, especially when they are infected but are not aware of it, and help to ensure the safety of their loved ones.”

For more information, visit: https://www.ed.ac.uk/news/covid-19/current-students/travelling-home-testing

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