Dear Faculty and Staff Colleagues,

Following are spring semester COVID-19 testing plans to support a healthy campus community. We will conduct campus testing for asymptomatic faculty and staff (those without symptoms) only. Please do not come to the testing pavilion if you are ill, and seek guidance from your medical provider if you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.

Beginning Jan. 19
Regular testing for Puget Sound community members begins the week of January 19. Your department chair or program director serving as COVID-19 lead for your area provided information to determine if and how often you are required to test based on how frequently you are on campus and the nature of your work. 

Your COVID-19 lead will coordinate and send correspondence to you about how to obtain your test kit. To reduce the density of people at the testing pavilion, faculty and staff members will collect their samples at home or elsewhere and drop them off at the testing pavilion. The testing pavilion is located on the Event Lawn between Thomas Hall and Warner Gymnasium.

  • If you are required to test once per week, turn in your sample any day, Monday through Friday.
  • If you are required to test twice weekly, spread out your testing days. For example, test Monday and Thursday, not Monday and Tuesday.
  • Faculty and staff members who are working entirely remotely and those who come to campus less than three days per week and are not providing in-person services or otherwise interacting with the community are not required to test and will not receive test kits. Please consult with your healthcare provider or visit a public health testing site if needed.

Collecting your testing sample

  • Do not eat, drink, chew gum, or brush your teeth for at least 30 minutes and do not use mouth wash for at least two hours prior to collecting your saliva sample.
  • Fill the test tube at least halfway for accurate processing.
  • Make sure your sample bag is clearly labeled. Legibly write your name and your Puget Sound Employee ID number on the label and place it on the outside of the sample bag. Bags that are not labeled or have unreadable labels will not be processed. 
  • See the sample collection instructions (link updated Jan. 19):

Dropping off your sample

  • Beginning Jan. 19, completed tests can be placed in the pavilion’s faculty/staff drop box anytime Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m.–6 p.m. Operating hours may be adjusted in the future.
  • If you work evenings or weekends, or are otherwise not able to drop off your test during pavilion hours, please make arrangements with your department head or program COVID-19 lead to deliver it to the testing pavilion on your behalf. 
  • Samples do not require refrigeration. Please drop completed tests off within 24 hours of taking a sample.

Getting your results

  • Testing results will be available within 24 to 48 hours of the lab receiving test samples.
  • Samples delivered to the pavilion before 3 p.m. will be will be sent to the lab overnight. Samples dropped off after 3 p.m. will be sent to the lab the following day.
  • You can look up your results at pugetsound.edu/testresults. You will need to type in your Puget Sound ID number including any zeros at the start of the number to get results.   

Important: If you test positive for COVID-19, do not participate in campus pooled-saliva testing for 90 days after your positive test. You may request guidance from your medical provider about alternative testing options during this time if desired.

Thank you for supporting campus community health and safety. Let me know if you have questions—we are here to help!

Kelly K. Brown, Ph.D. | Director
Counseling, Health, and Wellness Services