UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State will host a pop-up testing site outside of Bigler Hall on Saturday and is encouraging all residents of East Halls to get tested, unless they have tested positive in the previous 90 days.
The pop-up testing site will be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and will utilize saliva tests, which will be couriered to an off-site lab for analysis.
As part of the University’s multilayered COVID-19 testing strategy, when the positivity rate of University tests reaches approximately 2% among those living in a particular on- or off-campus congregate housing facility, Penn State contacts all residents of the facility to encourage testing. This allows the University to proactively rule out anyone who isn’t positive, identify and provide support to those who are positive and initiate the contact tracing process. The pop-up testing site at Bigler Hall is an extension of these efforts.
Walk-up testing for asymptomatic students is also available on Saturday at Pegula Ice Arena and the Hintz Family Alumni Center from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.. University Park students who are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 should continue to schedule testing appointments with University Health Services (UHS) via myUHS.
The walk-up testing sites at Pegula and Hintz utilize rapid tests, with results provided to students on site. Students whose rapid test indicates a positive result will immediately take a secondary PCR test to confirm the positive result and be referred to isolation. The University’s contact tracing process will also commence at this time. Students who must isolate – whether on or off campus – will have support from the University to help them continue their studies uninterrupted, maintain their physical and mental health and stay connected to others.
Students who receive a negative result on their secondary PCR test will receive information from the University’s contact tracing team about leaving isolation. Those who receive a positive result on the secondary PCR test will complete their 10-day isolation period. More information about the support and resources provided to students in quarantine and isolation is available online at virusinfo.psu.edu.
More information on University COVID-19 testing is available online at virusinfo.psu.edu.