County to Host Coronavirus Testing Center at CSUSM
By Eric Breier
Editor's note: The testing site at CSUSM will be closing at the end of June 2021. The last day of testing at this site will be June 30, 2021. Please visit the county's website to find a testing location.
Cal State San Marcos will host a San Diego County-operated, walk-up coronavirus testing site beginning Monday, Aug. 10, expanding critical testing services to North County residents. CSUSM students, faculty and staff – along with members of the public – will have access to free COVID-19 testing, which is essential in the ongoing effort to contain the pandemic and reduce the spread of COVID-19.
The testing center, which is open to the public seven days a week, will operate independently of the university within the Viasat Engineering Pavilion, at 333 S. Twin Oaks Valley Road, San Marcos.
“The ability to get a better handle on the pandemic is to make COVID-19 testing readily accessible and available to the entire campus community, and to our county neighbors,” said Dr. James Chun, interim medical director for Student Health & Counseling Services at CSUSM. “Given that San Diego County will provide this capability on our campus is truly a blessing, and will help alleviate the concerns of our students, their families, and our CSUSM employees. No longer will transportation be an issue to access other testing sites in the county. We look forward to our ongoing collaboration with the County of San Diego.”
After a thorough evaluation of potential sites on campus, it was determined that the Viasat Engineering Pavilion would be the optimal location to ensure the safety and security of both the campus community and visitors arriving to be tested. The Viasat Engineering Pavilion is conveniently located near parking, it does not share an HVAC system with any other facility on campus, and no in-person or hybrid courses or labs will occur in the facility during the fall semester.
While CSUSM is providing testing space, all operations of the testing center will be managed by the County of San Diego, including custodial services and security. No CSUSM employees will be involved in the operation.
The testing center will operate from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m., seven days a week. Please check the county's COVID website before visiting to ensure that there have been no changes to hours of operation. Free, designated parking in Lot F will be available for visitors who want to be tested. Tests are free (no copay required), do not require physician referral and are conducted by a County nurse. Wait times will vary with visitors served on a first-come, first-served basis. The test itself will take 5-10 minutes.
For more information, visit the Frequently Asked Questions webpage or www.coronavirus-sd.com.
Media Contact
Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist
ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314