ANU: ANU community rallies to support students in residences

As semester one kicked off, ANU saw a number of positive COVID-19 cases in our on campus student residences.

With restrictions lifting and many people moving back to the campus from both interstate and overseas, these cases were unsurprising. ANU has been using rapid antigen tests (RATs) to closely monitor the number of students in our residence who may need to self-isolate due to COVID, as well as to identify those students who need our support.

The number of positive RATs reported to the University each day continues to remain small, with a very significant number of our students who tested positive for COVID-19 having also been cleared by ACT Health and come out of self-isolation.

As soon as cases were confirmed, the University was quick to take action to support any resident who tested positive for COVID to self-isolate safely on the ANU campus, as well as ensure they received the ongoing care they needed. This included regular check-ins, wellbeing and mental health support, clinical support and academic support.

A team of professional staff from across the campus and dedicated teams from across our halls and lodges also came together to provide meals and other essential items to self-isolating students each day. Senior residents and other student leaders were also quick to play their part and help.

It was a tough start to semester for students who had to isolate, however, they have shown incredible goodwill and patience as the University worked hard to keep them and the wider campus community safe and well.