Colleges can ask new students to be tested for COVID-19 before they move into their dorms next month, according to government guidelines obtained exclusively by the Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper).
The Ministry of Education’s guidelines on the prevention and management of COVID-19 on college campuses are expected to be released in the next few days.
To protect the health and safety of faculty members and students, schools may include polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests or rapid screening for COVID-19 in their health exams for new students, in accordance with the School Health Act (學校衛生法), the guidelines say.
Photo courtesy of National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University
However, those tests cannot be used as a requirement for students to be admitted, they say.
During their health examination, new students would be checked for fever, coughing, shortness of breath or other respiratory symptoms, as well as diarrhea and loss of smell or taste.
To prevent cluster infections, students may also be asked to undergo a PCR or rapid screening test before they move into their dorms, the guidelines say, adding that colleges would assist in reporting positive cases and arranging medical treatment.
Colleges would be allowed to hold online classes, while in-person classes would be limited to a maximum of 80 people, who would have to sit in assigned seats and wear a mask at all times, the guidelines say, adding that classrooms must be well-ventilated.
Social distancing must be observed in physical education, music and swimming classes, as well as practicums.
Students in swimming classes would be required to wear a mask except when they are in the water, while those in practicums or labs would be assigned fixed groups to avoid contamination of equipment.
Indoor and outdoor sports venues may fill up to 50 percent of their total capacity, the guidelines say.
Restaurants on campuses would be open for on-site eating, with diners required to leave their contact information and be separated by dividers, they say.
While faculty members at elementary, junior-high and high schools would be required to have PCR or rapid screening tests if they have not been vaccinated against COVID-19, the same would not be required for faculty at colleges, as they have not been listed as a priority group for vaccination, the guidelines say.
Although universities nationwide are expected to open from Sept. 13 to Sept. 27, several colleges have tentatively decided to adopt distance learning for the first two weeks of classes due to fears about the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2.
Additional reporting by Wu Po-hsuan
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