Best said, according to conversations with numerous friends who are RAs and desk assistants in NAU residence halls, RAs are neither required to be tested for COVID-19 after arriving on campus nor to report to their supervisors if they contract the disease. As students move into dorms, RAs are also unable to know who has COVID-19 due to campus privacy policies, Best noted. “I learned this information and honestly, I could not live with myself if this information didn’t get out,” Best said. “NAU makes this claim that it’s [students’] choice if you want to be on campus or not, but a choice can only be made if you know what the consequences of both sides are and by hiding that information, they don’t allow you to make an accurate choice. And I feel like the only way to get an accurate choice is to let people know that this is actually happening, this is what’s going on on campus behind the scenes.”According to his calculations, tallying information from RAs in at least six different dorms, as of Aug. 2, 35 RAs and two residence hall directors were in the process of quarantining to prevent the spread of COVID-19 to incoming students — but only for six days, far below the 14 days recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Source: Daily Sun August 11, 2020 13:30 UTC