Voluntary Surveillance Testing Program

To: The Campus Community
From: The COVID-19 Management Team

Beginning Monday, May 8, Caltech students, faculty, postdocs, and staff members working on campus may participate in a free, voluntary community surveillance testing program, administered by UCLA SwabSeq.

The program is supported with a California Department of Public Health grant to UCLA, and is independent from Caltech. Student Wellness Services (SWS) will facilitate access to the testing kits and provide a collection sample drop-off box on campus. SWS is not involved in registering participants or recording individuals' results or program participation.

Those who choose to participate will register directly with UCLA SwabSeq, and will receive test results through their preferred contact method. Participants who test positive through this program must separately notify the Institute through the Caltech COVID-19 Reporting Application so that the COVID-19 Management Team may follow up as is appropriate.

UCLA SwabSeq will report testing results to public health authorities per federal, state, and county guidelines. UCLA SwabSeq will also report aggregate data (total tests and total positive cases) to the Institute.

Program Details:

- Testing Kits: As of Monday, May 8, individual self-collection saliva testing kits will be available for pick-up outside the front door of the SWS health center (1239 Arden Road, Pasadena, CA, 91106), Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Individuals may take up to 3 kits at a time. Instructions on how to register will be provided with each test kit.

Some kits will also be available to students in residences on an as-needed basis through the Residential Life Coordinators.

- Testing Schedule: Members of the community who elect to participate in the program may determine how frequently they wish to submit samples. There is no minimum or maximum requirement for weekly testing. Participation in testing may begin as early as Tuesday, May 9; there is no end date for the program at this time.

- Sample Collection Process: Individuals who have completed a test may return their sample to the collection box located on the Olive Walk, near the entrance to Lloyd House. The collection box will be open weekly from 8 a.m. on Tuesday to 11 a.m. on Thursday. Samples will be collected at 11 a.m., Tuesday through Thursday, with results returned within 24 hours.

- Test Results: Participants will be notified directly of both negative and positive test results through their preferred communication method, either email or text message, as indicated in their test kit registration. Members of the community who test positive must separately report their case to the Institute through the COVID-19 Reporting Application.

For additional questions or program details, please contact the COVID-19 Management Team at [email protected].