BYU announced updated safety measures for Fall Semester in an email Aug. 17. These measures include a mandated safety training video, a symptom-tracking app and COVID-19 testing.
All students, staff and faculty are required to take the “Welcome Back to the Y” safety training, which includes an informational video and a short quiz, before returning to campus on Aug. 31. Those who fail to complete the training by that date will lose access to myBYU services. Those who complete the training before Aug. 25 will be entered into a gift card drawing.
“For our return to campus to succeed, we all need to do our part,” President Kevin J Worthen said in the training video. “The BYU mission statement reminds us that all relationships within the BYU community should reflect a loving, genuine concern for the welfare of our neighbor.”
The video encourages symptomatic and high-risk individuals, as well as those they live with, not to come to campus. It also reminds students and employees of face mask, social distancing and symptom tracking requirements.
“Your return to campus is conditional upon you following the instructions you receive,” the video states. “For your success and safety, you must follow all the COVID-19-related instructions you will receive throughout the semester.”
BYU has also asked students, staff and faculty to download and use the Healthy Together app.
“This app will ask you to do a quick daily checkup and self-assess for any COVID-19 symptoms,” the email says. “You’ll be asked to show a green indicator on the ‘Daily Checkup’ screen of the Healthy Together app prior to accessing a number of in-person campus services.”
The announcement also stated BYU will be requiring students, faculty and staff to be tested for COVID-19 if they are symptomatic, have been in contact with someone who tested positive for the virus or have been in a high-risk setting. The university will also be performing randomized testing across campus. Required testing of asymptomatic individuals will be paid for by the university.
