Students attending Bates College in Lewiston will not be required to undergo regular COVID-19 testing this fall.
The college had maintained a rigorous testing schedule for asymptomatic students and staff for the past two years, but the requirement has been dropped, the school announced on Tuesday.
Students that suspect that they have contracted COVID-19 will be allowed to request a test through Bates’ student health services, take a test at a local pharmacy or self-administer a rapid test.
Anyone who tests positive for the coronavirus while attending the university will be required to quarantine in their room for at least five days following a positive test, with exceptions to pick up food and access necessary medical care. The student will also be required to wear a mask in all indoor spaces for at least 10 days after a positive test.
Students will be required to take a COVID-19 test within 48 hours of arriving on campus.
Masks will not be generally required on campus spaces, but faculty reserve the right to request that students wear masks while attending classes on a case-by-case basis. Masks continue to be required in health care spaces on campus, school officials said.
Students are asked to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19 before arriving at school, and are required to be fully vaccinated against coronavirus with either a two-course Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or a one-shot Johnson and Johnson vaccine. The school also encourages that students stay up-to-date on boosters once they are eligible.
The school will continue to monitor the outlook of the pandemic, and will adjust its policies and protocols as necessary throughout the semester, Bates College President Geoffrey Swift wrote in a letter to staff.
