The COVID-19 testing site at Baruch College should be open on Thursdays. There is a large student presence on campus during the weekdays, meaning the site’s services would be more valuable on a Thursday than the weekend.

Baruch serves as one of the 19 CUNY sites that offer “walk-in” COVID-19 testing. But the site is one of only two CUNY testing locations that have at least one day with no operation between Monday and Thursday.

The other sites are closed on either Fridays or Saturdays, when there are fewer classes and, thus, fewer students on campus.

In contrast, Baruch’s site is closed on one of the campus’ busiest days. Club hours, which are from 12:40-2:20 p.m. on Thursdays, attract students to campus.

CUNY’s COVID-19 random testing program, which launched in 2021, is still in effect. When selected, students receive an email notification from Cleared4 with instructions to submit a COVID-19 test.

This requirement is another reason why Baruch’s testing site should be open at convenient hours for students. If a student is selected, he or she must submit a test within seven days.

The Thursday closure is also not ideal due to its proximity to the weekend.

Friday and Saturday classes are less common than weekday classes; most students are not on campus those days. Thus, the “testing window” for students with Monday-to-Thursday schedules is shortened by four days.

Students will benefit if the testing center’s closure fell on Friday or Saturday, as opposed to Thursday.