UNIVERSITY CUTS BACK COVID TESTING

Boise State sees reduced demand at testing center

Kate Jacobson | News Reporter | news@stumedia.boisestate.edu

University staff member.

Additionally, Wuthrich encouraged an amplification of student voices and intergovernmental dialogue, urging the importance of student involvement in major ASBSU decisions.

Kalista Barkley, associate vice president of Academic Affairs and constitutional convention chairwoman, spoke with The Arbiter about the next steps ASBSU will take to address the administration’s concerns.

Barkley explained that planned informal meetings between delegates and students will be held before the delegates meet to discuss opinions and become informed on the process. The first of these meetings was held on Jan. 20 at the Student Involvement and Leadership Center.

“I expect that each delegate does talk to as many students as they can so we know this is truly how their constituents feel,” Barkley told The Arbiter.

One more convention day will take place prior to a day designated to voting. The meeting will be held in a debate format open to the public, where delegates will go over pros and cons of the new constitution as they see them.

No vote will take place at the last convention meeting, in an effort to give delegates a week to decompress before making their final decision.

It’s officially been three years since the COVID-19 pandemic began overtaking the world. While COVID may never be truly gone, many people have finally started to feel a sense of normalcy.

This new normal recently led to Boise State University cutting back on COVID-19 testing services due to a decreased demand.

“We have reduced hours to meet existing campus and community COVID testing needs,” Clinical Programs Director Stephanie Hudon wrote in an email to The Arbiter. “Even with our reduced hours, we have not run out of testing appointments on any day so far.”

Data from Boise State’s Public Health Dashboard shows that over 1,000 tests were administered each week for much of the fall 2021 semester. In fall 2022, however, there was only one week all semester where more than 100 tests were administered.

This reduced demand meant that the testing center at Boise State had to let go of nine employees. Most of these employees, however, were able to find positions elsewhere on campus, according to Hud-

The cutback on COVID-19 testing has no impact on the vaccines available at the Boise State Vaccination Clinic. The clinic is still offering COVID-19 vaccines and boosters, as well as MPV and influenza vaccines, all of which are offered free of charge to members of the campus community regardless of insurance status.

“There is a new COVID virus subvariant called XBB.1.5 which is highly transmissible (and) Idaho is seeing very high flu activity,” Hudon wrote. “Thus, this would be a good time to get the new bivalent booster and flu vaccine if you haven’t yet.”

As the prevalence of COVID-19 continues to lessen, campus community members are still encouraged to be vigilant of their health and get tested if they are feeling sick.

For those still wanting to get tested for COVID-19 or the flu on campus, the new testing center hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. While appointments are required for testing, there is typically same-day availability. Appointments can be made online on the Public Health response page.