WSU asking all Pullman students to get COVID‑19 tests

A National Guard member standing beside a car conducting COVID-19 testing.
National Guard member conducts Covid‑19 testing at the Steptoe apartments on the WSU Pullman campus, Tuesday, Sept. 8.

Washington State University has worked to make testing readily available for Pullman students in the hopes that they get a COVID-19 test this month.

“For all of our students, please, please go and get that COVID-19 test,” WSU President Kirk Schulz said during Thursday’s COVID-19 town hall.

The university is paying for tests for students and making it as straightforward as possible for students to receive one, Schulz added. Students are asked to simply bring their Cougar Card with them to a testing site. They do not need to be experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19 in order to get a test.

Two testing sites are currently operating in Pullman:

  • Outside of Cougar Health Services, students are able to do walk-up appointments from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Students who are sick are asked to contact their healthcare provider in advance. Healthcare providers with Cougar Health Services are available for appointments by calling 509‑335‑3575.
  • The Washington National Guard is currently operating a testing site at the Merman-Valley parking lot near the Valley Road Playfields. Testing there is available from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The National Guard will be moving its mobile testing site to different locations around Pullman throughout the fall as needed, with current location available through the University’s COVID-19 website.

Plans also are being developed for voluntary COVID-19 testing for WSU Pullman employees. Information will be shared with the university community as plans are finalized.

Dr. Bonnie de Vries, medical director of Cougar Health Services, noted that in the midst of COVID-19s continued spread, it’ll be especially important this year for people to get flu shots. Cougar Health Services will begin to offer Flu Shot Fridays beginning Sept. 25.

The entire hour-long town hall is available for re-watch on the university’s Youtube page.

Schulz and de Vries were joined during the town hall by Provost and Executive Vice President Elizabeth Chilton, Dave Cillay, vice president of WSU Academic Outreach and Innovation and WSU Global Campus Chancellor, Jill Creighton, dean of students and associate vice president for Campus Life, Terese King, executive director of university advising, Jennifer Ellsworth, director of Cougar Health Services’ Counseling and Psychological Services, Mary Wack, vice provost for academic engagement and student achievement and Curtis Cohen, president of ASWSU.

Speakers talked about the semester so far, plans for virtual family weekends this academic year and myriad resources available to students where they live.

The university’s next town hall is scheduled for Sept. 30 beginning at 11 a.m. Its primary focus will be on addressing questions from staff and faculty.

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