San Diego State University announced Tuesday it is ramping up its COVID-19 testing protocols through a new random surveillance testing program, which requires all students living on campus to be tested for the virus.
The program will begin Wednesday, with around 500 students being tested every day through Saturday, then starting again Monday. All students living in SDSU residence halls and apartments will be assigned testing slots at either the Student Health Services Calpulli Center, or the HHSA testing location at the Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center. Students will be notified of their assigned testing window, along with instructions on what to do, through their SDSU email address.
Off-campus students are encouraged to get tested, as well. All students continue to have access to testing at Student Health Services and at both San Diego County and Imperial County locations. Faculty and staff continue to have access to county testing site locations, including the location at the Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center.
Corinne McDaniels-Davidson, director of SDSU's Institute for Public Health, reminded students to take the illness seriously.
"We're hearing people act like a negative test is a hall pass to do whatever you want," she said. "It's not. A test is just a snapshot of a particular moment."
She said a person could become infected on their way home from receiving a test, and that it's important to maintain constant vigilance.
On Monday, SDSU reported 21 new COVID-19 cases among students, bringing the total number of student cases to 642 since the fall semester began Aug. 24.
University officials said they were aware of 638 confirmed cases among students and four probable cases. The university has not received any reports of faculty or staff who have tested positive, SDSU health officials said.
The majority of the cases are students living off-campus in San Diego, according to the university. About 75% of students testing positive live in off-campus housing not managed by the university, with 73% of the cases among the freshman and sophomore classes.
