Alabama to pay for college students to get coronavirus tests before school restarts

Alabama to pay for college students to get coronavirus tests before school restarts

New information on coronavirus testing.

The state says more than 750- thousand dollars will fund the "testing for alabama" initiative.

It allows for all students at public universities across the state to be tested for coronavirus before going back to campus in the fall.

It's something students told waay 31 's ashley carter makes them feel better about going back to school.

Elijah oshin-banjo, college student: "i was very concerned about going back, and being around students knowing that we still don't have a treatment for the covid-19."

Elijah ocean banjo is a student at alabama a and m.

The university announced last week students would be able to return to campus for fall on august 17th.

Oshin-banjo said he felt uneasy about going back....but the new testing for alabama initiative made him feel more at ease elijah oshin-banjo, college student: "it makes me feel better knowing that the state is actually going to be supportive you know with just helping get the test that they need for them to be able to get back to school."

Because of the cares act....more than 750- thousand dollars will be used for fund the initiative.

It will make testing available to public universities across the state so students can be re-tested before going back to campus dr. selwyn vickers, uab: "we are also asking and requiring that they do have a negative test to return, and obviously if a student tests positive, we're going to ask them to quarantine for 14 days before they come to campus."

Dr selwyn vickers works for the university of alabama in birmingham and helped establish the initiative....he says right now they are working to establish parameters with each university so students can be tested right before heading back to campus and will be less likely to contract it right before going back to school oshin banjo says he likes this protocol and believes it'll only keep the campus safer..

Elijah oshin-banjo, college student: "you don't wanna be around anybody that has that."

In hsv ashley c waay 31