Alabama college students to use coronavirus app, testing program

Alabama college students to use coronavirus app, testing program

Area.

Waay 31's sydney martin joins us now.

She's live in huntsville after learning what college students need to do in order to return to campus this fall semester.

Today- officials said in a virtual new conference- they're ready to start rolling out testing and have started a closed trial phase of the contact tracing app for college students and staff across the state.

And they made it very clear that if students want to return to campus, they must follow the rules.

Dr. ray watts, president of the university of alabama at birmingham "we have a high degree of confidence we can do this successfully as long as everyone's behavior is in the right manner."

Dr ray watts, president of the university of alabama at birmingham, said officials have spent the last few months gearing up for the return to college campuses.

Monday- the university and state department of public health announced the guidesafe app that will require students to input data about symptoms. the app then will tell them if they're allowed to return to campus.

The app will also provide an optional contact tracing feature for students.

The state health officer said he's watching the number of coronavirus cases closely - as they rolled out these more specific guidelines to students..

Dr. scott harris, adph "we continue to be concerned about the numbers overall.

We have had an increase in cases in a number of counties as reflected on the risk map you referred to.

We have seen a slight decline in the last week.

It's fallen by about a percentage point.

" testing for students will start tuesday morning- by appointment only at 13 different sites across the state.

Dr. ray watts, president of the university of alabama at birmingham "we will test upwards of 200,000 college students over the next 4 weeks as we return to our campuses."

And watts said he has this message for college students across the state.

Dr. ray watts, president of the university of alabama at birmingham"to be serious about this and for our students to understand that it is vital that they comply with this program because that's the only way they are going to be able to come back to college or the university safely."

Now on top of the new app that will be rolled out to all students in the coming weeks-- it was stressed this morning that this new piece of technology does not end the need to separate, sanitize and wear a mask.

Live in huntsville sm