Student Leadership Calls For More Accessible COVID-19 Testing

In a letter issued to Maryland Governor Larry Hogan today, July 31, Student Government Association President Noah DeMichele called for state offices to make COVID-19 testing more accessible in Allegany County, the home of Frostburg State University.

“As university students are set to make their way back to their college campuses to begin the fall semester on August 17, I request that your offices make free COVID-19 testing more accessible for students,” DeMichele wrote in the letter. “Frostburg State University is located in Allegany County, one of the more income-restricted part of the state, with no free coronavirus testing facility in the entire county apart from the resources allocated to the University itself.”

DeMichele continues, “As governor, you have routinely cautioned Marylanders against activities that pose increased risk. While the USM system and Frostburg State University are taking steps to minimize risks to students, our safety preparations should reflect the very real concerns this virus brings specifically to the unique culture and environment of college campuses.”

Frostburg’s chapter of the National General Assembly also issued a joint policy recommendation today with SGA calling for the State of Maryland to create a COVID-19 testing site in Allegany County.

In the wake of new USM testing requirements system-wide for students prior to their return to campus, student leaders were forced to combat the fact that the nearest free COVID-19 testing site is at least 40 miles away in either direction, located in Hagerstown (Washington County) and Deep Creek Lake (Garrett County).

The policy recommendations would significantly improve the access of COVID-19 testing to FSU students, as well as the surrounding community. NGA and SGA call for the State of MD to open one or more state-operated, COVID-19 testing stations on campus for the beginning of the semester and to foot the bill for all operational costs. Additionally, the policy calls for students, faculty, and staff to have an established email contact “for submitting a receipt [that] they have undergone a COVID-19 test and subsequently received a negative result, prior to returning to campus,” as well as for the university to apply for the SARS-CoV-2 Programs Activities grant from the Department of Health and Human Services.

Both the letter and policy recommendation were issued on the afternoon of Friday, July 31. No parties have responded to the measures as of press time.

This is an ongoing and developing story.