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NHS staff distribute test kits to students at the University of Glasgow, where there has been a Covid-19 outbreak
Students have spoken of their concern and confusion at being locked in university classrooms, in a situation that unions describe as “chaotic.”
Up to 1,700 students at Manchester Metropolitan University and hundreds of other institutions, including Edinburgh and Glasgow, are self-isolating after the Covid-19 outbreaks.
In Manchester, security prevents students from leaving.
Universities UK said that the welfare of students was “the first priority”.
Robert Halfon, Conservative Chairman of the Select Committee on Education, said 3,000 students were locked up in universities from Dundee to Exeter.
He called on the government and its scientific advisers to reassure students and families by setting policy for England, and warned that having students locked up for Christmas would cause “great distress.”
Halfon said colleges should also consider discounts for students who are not taught in person.
- ‘Don’t suck on students for Covid outbreaks’
- Scottish students: ‘Why have they sent us here?’
Manchester Met said it had introduced a 14-day period of self-isolation at its accommodation at Birley and Cambridge Halls after 127 students tested positive for the virus.
Some students said they were preparing to leave on Friday night when they looked outside to see security guards and police, who told them they could not leave.
Freshman Joe Byrne said: “We have not received any warnings, support or advice from the university on how we get food, etc., and instead we have been left completely in the dark and practically locked up against our will.”
Megan Tingey said the university did not contact her about the closure before police appeared outside her accommodation on Birley Vine.
“It was pretty scary and confusing,” he said. “No one has really told us much and then the police show up safely outside.”
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Another student, Ellie Jackson, told BBC News that she had read about the hallway closings in the local newspaper before receiving an email about it, emphasizing the need for “more guidance” from the university.
For Ellie, it is the second period of self-isolation that she and her five housemates have had to undertake.
“My course is all online, I haven’t even been to college,” he said. “I could have done this at home. I don’t think it’s worth the money right now.”
In a statement, Manchester Met said it had contacted students “as soon as we could, but it was not possible to give significant advance notice due to the requirement to implement isolation almost immediately.”
“The communications we sent included details on how to access food and other provisions and we have been working with other partners, including local supermarkets, throughout the day to provide additional support,” the statement read.
“Our security teams will increase patrols to support the lockdown and we will take disciplinary action against any student found to have violated the requirements.”
Students in some hallways are confined to their flats at Manchester Metropolitan University
Meanwhile, students across Scotland have been told not to go to pubs, parties or restaurants on the weekend and Universities Scotland has said that students who socialize with someone outside of their home risk losing their spot. in college.
Hundreds of students are isolating themselves at the University of Glasgow due to two groups of coronaviruses.
The university said it would offer a four-week rent refund to all students in college residences in recognition of the “difficult circumstances” in which they were living.
He said those students would also be given £ 50 each to spend on food and would invite mobile food outlets to residences.
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A mobile test unit has been installed at Murano Street Student Village in Glasgow
Reese Chamberlain, an international student at the University of Edinburgh, said his entire block at Holland House was “closed” after a student tested positive.
“The situation is terrible,” he said. “I was already isolated when I got here and even then it was very difficult to get basic supplies.”
He said there was an “exodus of students” on Friday night, with more than 50 leaving the building.
A spokesperson for the university said it was “not asking for entire hallways of student accommodation to isolate themselves” but that there were currently “a small number of positive cases” and the university was providing care and support to those who were isolating themselves. themselves.
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A sign reading “students, not criminals” was displayed at Murano Street Student Village in Glasgow.
University and College Union Secretary General Jo Grady described the closure at Manchester Met as “the latest catastrophe in a week in which fully predictable and anticipated Covid outbreaks have wreaked havoc.”
“There was no point in encouraging students to come to the university to isolate themselves for fifteen days,” he added.
And the National Union of Students (NUS) said students should be able to return to their families because being “trapped” in college accommodation would only increase their anxiety at an already difficult time.
He called on universities to support students with food delivery and provide access to mental health services.
“We must remember that this is happening because the government and the universities told students to return to campus and this chaotic situation now demands flexibility,” the union said.
Students “should be able to drop leases, access online learning or defer, and do whatever it takes to prioritize their safety,” the statement added.
The Department of Education said the government was working closely with universities in England to make sure they were prepared for the return of students.
A spokesperson said: “Students should follow the latest health advice, as should the general public, which means they should stay in college in case they have symptoms; they should isolate themselves; there are additional locally imposed restrictions; or there are an outbreak on campus or in your accommodation. “
Scotland’s Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon said students are “not to blame” for the coronavirus outbreaks, but backed universities taking disciplinary action as a “last resort” against rule-breakers.
Universities UK, which represents 139 institutions, said that the health and well-being of students, staff and local communities was the first priority for universities, which would continue to follow the government’s guidance.
- THE ASK MARTIN LEWIS PODCAST: Is there a silver lining to a Covid Christmas?
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