Short lines have been forming outside of on-campus COVID-19 testing centers during cleaning hours and shift changes in recent weeks, after students largely started off the semester completing their tests within minutes.
Students and employees are not able to schedule tests during cleaning hours, according to Boston University spokesperson Colin Riley, meaning the lines are likely a result of people attending tests before or after their designated times.
Elizabeth Sprague, a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences, said she arrived five minutes late for her scheduled test at 808 Commonwealth Ave. and found the testing center was closed for cleaning.
“I was just trying to squeeze it in before I had to start my work study,” Sprague said. “I was already sweating and it was just a bad situation. I was a little bit pissed off afterward.”
Sprague also said, however, there was one instance when she arrived early to the testing center during a time slotted off for staff testing.
Riley said the testing sites’ cleaning hours have been in place since the start of the semester, and occur at varied times depending on the testing site.
The Rajen Kilachand Center for Integrated Life Sciences and Engineering and BU Medical Campus testing sites are closed daily 10:15 a.m.–11 a.m., 1–1:30 p.m. and 3:45 p.m.–4:30 p.m. for cleaning, according to the Back2BU website. The 808 Gallery and Agganis Arena sites have their cleaning hours 11:15 a.m.–12 p.m., 2 p.m.–2:30 p.m. and 6 p.m.–6:45 p.m.
The cleaning and sanitation processes are carried out by BU Facilities staff, and consist of a full wipe-down of all surfaces in the testing site as well as standard maintenance, such as taking out the trash and cleaning the floors, Riley said.
While the lines accumulating outside testing centers during cleaning times might move slowly, Riley said, the time it takes to finish the test itself is short.
“I don’t think my tests have taken more than … three to five minutes,” Riley said.
Riley said from what he has observed, those waiting in lines outside testing centers during cleaning hours have maintained safe distances.
Sprague said she has noticed there “always” being a group of people standing outside of the Kilachand Center during cleaning hours.
“When they reopen and the line is still there, it seems like there is no orderly way of putting everyone through the door,” Sprague said. “Everyone just kind of stampedes in there.”
As the Spring semester approaches, Riley said, the testing centers are well-equipped for a bigger campus population.
“We have plenty of capacity for testing and scheduled slots,” Riley said.
Riley added BU is happy to see its COVID-19 cases remaining low, but that he believes the school can take incremental steps toward improvement.
“We would love to see,” Riley said, “as we have several times this semester, zero positive cases.”
