WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — U.S. senators want to know how colleges and universities will return to campus safely and prevent students and communities from spreading COVID-19.
Most colleges will reopen this fall with modifications and have a long list of safety measures in place.
“We have never seen anything like this,” said Brown University President Dr. Christina Paxton. “Brown will not open unless we can do so safely.”
Washington Senator Patty Murray worries there still isn’t enough testing.
“Are colleges going to be able to keep students and employees and their communities safe?” Murray asked.
“We’re finally at about 400,000 tests per day, we’re not nearly at the 500,000 that we need to be,” said Dr. Georges Benjamin, the executive director of the American Public Health Association. “We will continue to have undetected broad community spread of COVID-19.”
The president of Lane College asked for special financial help for historically black colleges and universities Nevada Senator Jackie Rosen says Congress still needs to help others.
“We really need relief for dreamers and our student veterans,” Rosen said.
Indiana Senator Mike Braun says schools don’t have to choose between re-opening and keeping people safe.
“It’s tamped down economies maybe unnecessarily — we’re able to do two thing at once,” Braun said.
Purdue University said students and staff will choose when they return to campus.
