THE University of York is offering rapid Covid-19 testing to all asymptomatic students and members of staff from today (Sunday).

At the end of November, the university launched mass coronavirus testing for students at the Sports Centre on Campus West before they headed home for the Christmas break.

The university is again offering free Covid-19 rapid-result tests at the Sports Centre as students and staff return to campus.

A spokesperson for the university said: "As a university we need to do what we can to limit virus transmission and we applaud the responsible behaviour seen at the end of last term with so many students taking up the opportunity to have a Covid test before they returned home.

"As we start the spring term, we expect all students to get tested on campus, using the same scheme we ran successfully in our Sports Centre before Christmas."

Meanwhile, the university is following guidance from the Department for Education and extending the staggered start to the spring term.

The spokesperson added: "Before the Christmas break we had let all students know about the Government’s staggered start to spring term. Now as a result of the rising cases of Covid-19 across the country we will be following the new guidance from the Department for Education requiring all universities to extend this staggered start.

"In-person teaching at York from January 4 is restricted to students who require practical learning in accordance with government guidelines. For all other courses, teaching will start online and we will confirm with our students when in-person teaching is to begin as soon as the Department for Education allows.