NUS to pilot fast and easy testing regimen for students, staff

All students and staff at the National University of Singapore (NUS) will test themselves regularly for Covid-19 from next Tuesday, in a pilot fast and easy testing (FET) regimen that the university is trying out.

According to a circular sent to students yesterday that was seen by The Straits Times, staff and students will be given antigen rapid test self-test kits. The frequency of testing will depend on their vaccination status and whether they are residents on campus.

Fully vaccinated staff and students who are living on campus will be expected to conduct a self-swab test once a month; those who are unvaccinated, or have received only one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, will test themselves once a week.

Hall residents will receive more information from their respective hall masters on the testing.

Students and staff who do not live on campus will need to do a test before their first visit to the campus from next Tuesday.

Subsequently, self-swab tests will be required for every 20th visit to campus for vaccinated people and every fifth visit for unvaccinated people. The university's uNivUS app, which can track student and staff entry to the campus, will alert them when it is time to do a test.

The school semester began last Monday.

"The implementation of this pilot is an added precaution to safeguard the health of our students and staff. It will enable quick detection and better containment of community spread of the virus, in the event of any confirmed Covid-19 cases," said the circular, which was signed by Dr Peck Thian Guan, senior director of NUS' office of safety, health and environment.

The circular noted that frequent, convenient and widespread testing is important to allow more economic and social activities to continue in a safe manner. Since July 15, workers in high-risk settings, such as gyms, massage outlets and dine-in eating places, have had to undergo regular testing for Covid-19.

NUS added in its circular that students and staff in the medical sectors who are already subject to routine testing can be exempted from the FET pilot.

Staff and students are in the process of updating their Covid-19 vaccination status on the uNivUS app, and should complete this process by Monday.

Those who have received the Sinovac vaccine or have been vaccinated outside of Singapore can also upload their vaccination certificates to the app, provided that the vaccine they received is in the World Health Organisation's emergency-use list.