OSU-Cascades students set to move in with enhanced health, safety measures

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Oregon State University–Cascades fall move-in for students living on campus begins Friday and will feature enhanced health and safety measures, including COVID-19 testing.

Nearly 140 students are anticipated to move in to the residence hall over a four-day period from Friday to Monday, in keeping with OSU’s physical distancing policy.

The OSU-Cascades Office of Student Wellness will oversee self-administered COVID-19 testing of residential students during move-in. The tests will be processed by Summit Medical Group Oregon in Bend and results will be available to students via the OSU Student Health Services’ secure, online portal.

Students with negative tests will be cleared to move in to their rooms. If a student tests positive, they will be informed personally by a member of OSU Student Health Services and be required to isolate, either at home or in a designated isolation room in the residence hall. 

The tests represent a snapshot in time and when on campus all students will be required to observe all OSU and local and state public health policies, including wearing face coverings, practicing physical distancing and limiting social gatherings and informal get-togethers to 10 people or less.

Additional health and safety measures for students living in the residence hall include:

• All students will live in single-occupancy rooms.
• Health kits that include a face covering, hand sanitizer, a thermometer strip, and health and wellness information will be provided to students.
• Twice daily cleaning of common touch points within the residence hall will occur in public areas.
• Dining services will follow Oregon Health Authority guidance for restaurants including adjusted seating and queue areas in the Beaver Dam and Study Grounds coffee bar that support physical distancing, as well as enhanced cleaning and hygiene. Food offerings will include increased grab-and-go meals, and a new online ordering service to reduce density in the dining area.
• Daily self-health checks for all students will be emphasized.
• Limiting residence hall visitors to the first floor public area; other areas of the building will be restricted to residents only.
• Designating isolation rooms in the residence hall should students need them. Dining services will provide meals for these students.

If a student requires isolation, a staff member will check in with them regularly and direct them to academic and support resources as needed. Isolation spaces include a private bathroom.

To further support student health, a new Telehealth service is available to residential and commuting students. The service is free to students and offered through OSU Student Health Services. Telehealth provides students secure, HIPAA-compliant videoconference or phone access to a clinician. Students can also access a 24-hour nurse advice line.

During the school year, OSU researchers will conduct regular virus prevalence testing among students and employees, and monitor campus wastewater for genetic evidence of the virus that causes COVID-19. This work will be conducted under the umbrella of TRACE-COVID-19, OSU’s public health project, to better understand how COVID-19 is spreading.