MSU Student COVID-19 Testing

Although triple-a is expecting a ten percent drop in holiday travel this year.

One group will hit the highway and that's college students returning home from MSU.

Once a year.

Intro although triple-a is expecting a ten percent drop in holiday travel this year... one group that will hit the highway... and that's college students returning home.

For those people... mississippi state is trying to make sure students don't take the virus home...or bring it back.

Wcbi's stephen pimpo joins us live in the studio with more..

As of this morning, mississippi state reports they have 284 students under quarantine.

With thanksgiving just days away...the school started another round of free covid-19 testing today to help state students make sure they aren't in danger of infecting their loved ones when they get home.

Pkg "i'm definitley glad i'm getting tested before i go home just to make absolutely sure i'm not endangering any family members."

This thanksgiving...the turkey and mashed potatoes are not the only things that could get passed around the dinner table.

As triple a predicts the steepest drop in holiday travel in more than 10 years...the covid-19 pandemic has made the annual holiday gathering into a potential minefield.

"are you going home for thanksgiving?

Yes.

Where are you going?

Birmingham, alabama."

"you going home for thanksgiving?

Yes sir.

Where are you going?

I'm going back to murpheysburough, tennessee."

That's why mississippi state is working to make sure their students are well equipped to stay safe and healthy while they are off campus.

"we've been getting emails about social distancing before we go home, quarantining if we've been exposed and then obviously, they're doing free testing right now."

Su: school staff estimate 100-200 students showed up on just the first day of free testing.

The four days of covid tests to clear students for healthy travel are just part of the equation.

Msu's chief communications officer sid salter says the school is in the midst of sending out a series of posts on health and safety through cowbell well and social media that will extend into the holiday break.

"they're just trying to make sure every body's safe and trying to limit gathering sizes and just encouraging you to be really careful around that."

Freshman tanner jones says he will absolutely be taking the safety habits he's developed at msu home with him.

"back home in tennessee, they haven't been great tag the free drive through testing is open to students only.

It's open thursday, friday and monday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm in the lot behind the longest student health center.

Mississippi