College of Saint Mary opens COVID-19 Testing & Collection Site

College of Saint Mary is collaborating with Nebraska Public Health Labs to establish a new COVID-19 Collection Site on campus. The site will serve as a preventative measure through the added strategy of randomly testing asymptomatic people who may be unintentionally spreading the COVID-19 virus.

This testing method is also an option for students wishing to shorten their quarantine period – so they can get back to class and back to work more quickly. (Updated CDC Guidelines state that after 5 days of quarantine, a person who shows a negative test can reduce their quarantine time to 7 days).

The plan is to do random surveillance testing for our student body, with a goal of having 10% of the student body tested each week. This testing will be for students with face-to-face classes only (no online students).

The center is for asymptomatic testing only. If someone is showing signs of COVID-19, they will be referred to another testing center.

Mary Lopez, CSM instructor of nursing, will act as the site coordinator. The site will be open six hours a week total: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday from 12 – 2 p.m.

CSM is currently seeking volunteers (faculty/staff) to assist with the program’s “pilot week” (Feb. 1-4).

If you would like to help:

• Please register online (link was sent in email) and obtain appointment day and time for this week, Wednesday, Feb. 3 and Thursday, Feb. 4.
• Please arrive at Walsh 42 (ground floor) for your appointment, where you will enter at the west door of this room.
• Please bring your CSM or other ID to your appointment. You will check in at the registration desk, where your pre-registration will be confirmed. 
   

Please note, you are not eligible for testing if you have been tested for COVID-19 in the last 14 days OR you have had a positive COVID-19 test in the last 90 days.

For more information, please contact Dr. Tara Knudson Carl, Vice President for Student Development & Success, at tknudsoncarl [at] CSM.edu.