Rapid tests could play a role in testing for universities next semester. 2:00 pm, Dec. 11, 2020 ×
UND graduate student Alisha Parisien participates in a mass testing event at the UND High Performance Center in early September. Eric Hylden / Grand Forks Herald
While total cases of coronavirus across North Dakota’s higher education system are significantly lower than they were prior to Thanksgiving, leaders in the system say they already are planning for the next semester.
Dr. Joshua Wynne, the dean of the UND medical school and the person leading the university system’s COVID-19 response, said the system and UND are headed in the “right direction” for now because people have been wearing masks, social distancing and taking other measures to slow the spread of COVID-19. But, he said, there is still some concern about what numbers could look like next semester, when students return from holiday break.