Uni of Leeds tells self-isolating freshers to wash their socks in the sink

The University of Leeds has told self-isolating students to wash their socks in the sink because they’re not allowed to use the laundry service, an article in the Daily Mirror finds.

Saul, a first-year Film, Photography and Media student, has now been isolating for six days and has been unable to get hold of a food delivery slot due to the high demand for online services.

Saul described how he and many others isolating in Devonshire Hall have also been cut off from cleaning facilities.

“We’ve been given no information about basic necessities such as food shopping and taking out the bins,” Saul told The Daily Mirror.

“We’re not allowed to use laundry services and have been told to either buy more clothes online or wash our clothes the sink.

“We don’t have a working hoover to clean our halls flat either,” he added.

In Devonshire Hall,  Saul says there are at least three flats quarantining in his building alone.

Saul says he was tempted by the idea of staying at home this year due to the restrictions in place. In the end, he was persuaded to come by the apparently sound Covid-19 guidance as set out by the Uni.

Like many students across the country, Saul is continuing on with his lectures online from the comfort of his own prison cell, sorry, bedroom, but this isn’t without its challenges.

“I’m able to do my course in my room but I do have practical elements which will get increasingly harder from my room,” Saul said.

“I’m not asking for a hand-out, even though it would definitely help us a lot, but they’ve literally given us no guidance about basic things such as food shops and taking out the bins.

“This stuff should have been given to us before we even started university, not five days into self-isolating.

“A student in another block was handed a warning for putting sticky notes on their window saying ‘Help Covid’ after also receiving no help from the university.”

A spokesperson for The University of Leeds said: “We understand that self-isolating at University can be worrying and we offer a range of support to help students who are self-isolating.

“Our Residence Life team is providing guidance to self-isolating students on food shopping, bin collection and self-isolating requirements in line with government guidance.

“We regularly update our  coronavirus webpage  with information and guidance for students. We have also asked that students in University Residences report they are self-isolating using the  self-isolating online reporting form.”

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