San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) has partnered up with the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) to administer COVID-19 tests at schools in the district, including UC High, where asymptomatic students and staff can be tested  every Thursday in the auditorium from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm.

   The SDUSD website explained, “San Diego Unified collaborated with UC San Diego to establish strict health and safety reopening guidelines, which call for widespread COVID-19 testing. San Diego Unified’s testing plan was announced in November. The Board of Education voted to authorize an initial 5 million dollar investment in the testing plan, which includes a joint laboratory services testing agreement with UC San Diego Medical Center” (sandiegounified.org).

   According to a SDUSD News Release, “The testing initiative is part of a broader district effort to keep students and staff safe, while expanding in-person learning amid the worsening pandemic […] The tests will be administered in campus auditoriums and multi-purpose rooms by medical professionals from UC San Diego Health in conjunction with staff members from the district’s health office” (sandiegounified.org).

    “UCSD nurses and professionals come on campus to do COVID-19 testing. All the individuals coming from UCSD are spread out in the auditorium. Appointments must be scheduled through our school portal that is provided on the school website under the health office tab. On the stage they have tables and they have tables down by the audience chairs. The requirement is that you keep your mask on and only remove it when they do the swab in your nose,” said Nurse Candace Kasperick.

     “The science is clear when it comes to the importance of COVID-19 testing, even if a person has no symptoms. It is a critical component in slowing and containing the spread of COVID-19, along with measures like masking, social distancing and proper hand hygiene,” said CEO of UC San Diego Health Patty Maysent (sandiegounified.org).

  Students and faculty can access their test results approximately 24 hours after the test. Those who test positive will be called by a UCSD health professional and a follow up from an employee on the SDUSD nursing staff (sandiegounified.org).

    According to the County News Center,  “The state notified the County today that it will be allowed to lift some COVID-19 restrictions starting Wednesday and move from the most restrictive Purple Tier into the less restrictive Red Tier. The change in tiers will allow restaurants, gyms, movie theaters and other businesses to begin moving operations indoors with capacity limits” (countynewscenter.com).

   In March, a reporter from 10 News said, “According to the state data released Tuesday, San Diego County has an adjusted case rate of 8.8 new daily COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people. To be promoted to the red tier, and its limited allowance of indoor dining, gyms, movie theaters and other businesses and services, the county must report a daily case rate of fewer than 7 per 100,000 and then maintain that rate for two weeks” (10news.com).

    According to the California State Government website, “Every county in California is assigned to a tier based on its positivity rate, adjusted case rate, and health equity metric. Counties must remain in a tier for at least three weeks before moving to a less restrictive tier” (covid19.ca.gov).