A&M University issued the following announcement.
The COVID-19 testing kiosk at Rudder PlazaSam Craft/Texas A&M Division of Marketing & Communications
Texas A&M University has added free COVID-19 testing at three outdoor walk-up locations on campus.
Anyone can be tested at a kiosk, including Texas A&M students, faculty and staff, as well as non-university affiliated individuals, said Dr. Martha Dannenbaum, director of Student Health Services (SHS).
The kiosks are set up at the following campus locations:
- Aggie Express Commons
676 Lubbock St.
- Mays Business School
210 Olsen Blvd.
- Memorial Student Center
275 Joe Routt Blvd.
The kiosks are open M-F, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Appointments are not required for kiosk testing – walk-ups will be registered on site. Registration and appointment scheduling can also be completed in advance at The Texas A&M University System COVID-19 testing website. Choose the desired kiosk location when prompted.
Once an individual is checked in at the kiosk, an attendant will provide the collection tube, provide instructions and observe the sample collection. The person will then return the completed test tube. The process is contactless.
The tests are being supplied by the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM).
“Results are typically delivered within two days of testing, but could be a little longer depending on time of day a person tests,” Dannebaum said. “Currently, tests are sent to California for processing and if someone tests later in the day their sample may not get sent out until late on the following day. Results are delivered by email directly to the person tested to the email they provided when they scheduled or signed up for the test.”
The kiosks were created by Curative and piloted at several universities in California.
“TDEM was made aware of them and requested some for Texas; however, when they were ready to deploy, TDEM did not have a specific plan for them so they allowed The Texas A&M University System to have access to some of them,” Dannenbaum said, adding that Greg Hartman, senior vice president and chief operating officer of the Texas A&M Health Science Center, arranged for the university to obtain three of the kiosks.
SHS has provided input on the locations. SHS staff along with Student Assistance Services provides support for students who test positive from these sites.
“The kiosks provide another point of access to no cost testing for our campus which is a good thing for everyone,” Dannenbaum said. “It does not require an individual to make an appointment with a doctor thus eliminating any other potential expense. Some people may feel more comfortable going to an outdoor space to test rather than in an enclosed space, even though the medical tent is a negative pressure environment.”
Original source can be found here.
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