SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras has advised us that fully vaccinated students and employees will be exempt from mandatory weekly pooled COVID testing upon the submission of documentation showing completion of a full vaccination series. Mandatory weekly testing will continue to be required for any person who has a physical presence on campus and who has not been fully vaccinated, or who has not shown proof of vaccination. Diagnostic (PCR) testing of all symptomatic persons, including vaccinated persons who display COVID-related symptoms, will continue, and intensive contact tracing will focus on any emerging clusters of cases.

For those who have already been vaccinated, you may upload proof of your vaccination at the following link: https://machform.sunyorange.edu/view.php?id=562371.

Pooled testing hours (effective from July 6 until further notice) are as follows:

• Wednesday, 9 to 11:30 a.m. (Kaplan Hall 2nd floor cafe area), 1 to 5:30 p.m. (Middletown campus: Shepard Center lower level)

You may opt for the most convenient location but you must test every week in which you will be accessing a campus.

Those who have had a positive PCR test should not participate in surveillance testing for 90 days from the date of their positive test. Upon conclusion of the 90 days, you should begin participating in regular surveillance testing. Vaccine recipients shall also be included in surveillance testing.

schedule subject to change (as of July 1, 2021)

In Advance of Testing Day

• Several days before testing, students are instructed to create a COVID-19 Surveillance Account and complete their profile at least two days before testing (http://clarifi-covid-19.com/).
• Prior to testing, students are instructed not to eat or drink anything, including chewing gum, mints or lozenges, within 30 minutes of reporting, and should not have brushed their teeth or used mouthwash within the past three hours. In addition, test subjects must abstain from smoking, vaping, or using smokeless tobacco products for 30 minutes prior to the test.

Student Info for Testing Day

• Arrive at the proper time and location.
• Each student approaches Greeter station in turn and with student ID in one hand, and mobile device in other hand.
• Greeter asks the student if they are currently experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms; if yes, the Greeter instructs the student to stop and report to the Wellness Center for further instructions.
• Non-symptomatic students are asked to verify that they have not eaten or drank or brushed or used other prohibited substances as instructed. If they cannot verify this, they are asked to exit and return in an hour.
• Greeter checks if the student has a student ID and mobile device. If not, they are told to come back with both.
• Greeter checks to make sure the student has completed their profile in the COVID-19 SUNY Surveillance App. If the Greeter cannot verify this, the student is told to step aside and register before entering.
• When prompted, student puts ID away and approaches Attendant #1.
• Upon arriving at the assigned collection station, students use hand sanitizer.
• Student launches their COVID-19 Surveillance Account using their own mobile device.
• Student is prompted not to open saliva swab collection device, then handed the device.
• Student enters the saliva collection kit barcode (double entry), linking it to themselves. Barcode entry should be completed while collection kit is still packaged.
• Attendant 1 verifies the student has entered the correct barcode. To do this, student should read barcode from their mobile device, while Attendant 1 follows on the collection tube. If there are inconsistencies, student is asked to correct them before proceeding. NOTE: Strict adherence to this procedure #12 is critically important.
• Attendant 1 prompts student to move to Attendant 2 with their collection swab.
• Following the guidance of Attendant 2, and instructions provided on the saliva collection kit, student carefully opens the packaging, then collects saliva from mouth for 10-15 seconds. In order to achieve higher throughput, Attendant 2 can oversee two students at once during this process, if they are able to monitor effectively while maintaining proper social distancing.
• Student tightly closes the tube, and shakes the tube vigorously 10x to mix with stabilizing reagent.
• If collection is successful, student hands tube to Attendant 2. Using the student’s ID as reference, Attendant 2 writes the student’s full name and date of birth (DOB) on the tube, taking care not to write on the pre-printed barcode. The name and DOB should follow the following syntax: Last Name, First Name, MM/DD/YY.
• After writing the student’s information on the collection tube, Attendant #2 should confirm the student’s ID was entered correctly into the registration. This should be accomplished by Attendant 2 comparing the ID on the registration confirmation page with the student’s physical ID. If the student does not have a physical ID yet, Attendant 2 should validate the ID in the app by checking syntax and validating from an external system. Any incorrect IDs must be corrected by the student before proceeding.
• Once prompted by Attendant 2, student will finalize their registration. Otherwise if the collection was unsuccessful, the collection tube is discarded in the trash and student returns to Attendant 1’s line.

Watch 3 short videos from Upstate Medical University on how pooled testing will work, and what to expect on the day of testing.

Below is an approximate outline of when the College expects to receive test results.

Testin g Day	Test samples arrive at Lab	Pooled testing results expected*	Reflex testing results expected**
Monday	Wednesday	24 -36 hours (Thurs – Fri)	24 hours after pooled test results received (Fri – Sat)
Tuesday	Thursday	24 - 36 hours (Fri – Sat)	24 hours after pooled test results received (Sat – Sun)
Wednesday	Friday	24 – 36 hours (Sat – Sun)	24 hours after pooled test results received (Sun – Mon)
Thursday	Saturday	24 - 36 hours (Sun – Mon)	24 hours after pooled test results received (Mon – Tues)

*Delays may occur due to lab processing volume

**Reflex test results are sent directly to the individual

For the Summer 2021 sessions, those students and employees who have not yet completed a vaccine regimen must be tested if they will be regularly accessing our Middletown and Newburgh campuses for in-person, on-campus instructional activities, teaching, working, work study or other reasons MUST participate in pooled saliva testing

Those students and employees regularly accessing our Middletown and Newburgh campuses MUST participate in pooled saliva testing ONLY during those weeks that they will be coming to campus. If your class or lab is not meeting in person during a particular week, and you will not be accessing a campus for any other reason, you are exempt from testing for that week only. Therefore any week where your class is to meet on campus, you are expected to be tested.

Students are mandated to appear for testing once every other week regardless of their on-campus class schedule. Employees must also report to testing as stipulated in the joint memorandum of understanding signed by the three employee bargaining units. 

No. Only students participating in on-campus instruction are tested.

Yes. If you are tested every other week for the duration of your on-campus class.  Submit your test results here: If you can’t be tested every two weeks off campus, you must then report to one of the on-campus pooled testing windows.

No.  If you tested positive for COVID-19 during or after November 2020 you can submit a positive diagnostic COVID test in place of the regular surveillance pooled testing. Students submit form to the Wellness Center (provide link); faculty and staff submit form to the Human Resources Office (occchr@sunyorange.edu).

No. Individual results from surveillance pooled testing are not reportable per CDC/FDA guidelines.

You will be notified by email from the Vice President for Student Services that you must begin a precautionary quarantine until the results of your individual reflex test are received. You will be instructed to stay at home and to monitor your health. You will be notified of the results of your individual reflex test normally within 24 hours. 

If a classmate or faculty member tests positive, your class will stop meeting in-person and you will be expected to quarantine and comply with contact tracing efforts of the College and the Orange County Department of Health.  You will only return to campus when it is safe to do so.

Regulations within the CARES Act prevent SUNY Upstate Medical (the institution processing/testing the pooled samples) from billing students and employees, assuring those tested have no “out of pocket” costs. To recover some testing expenses, SUNY Upstate can file a claim with your insurance company. You may want to contact your insurance carrier if you have additional questions. If you are uninsured, you should note that in the first insurance field and enter “NA” in the remaining insurance fields. (All employees covered under the College’s health insurance plan are covered 100% for the cost of coronavirus testing)

Any student, faculty, or staff member who comes to campus regularly must notify the College (students must notify the Wellness Center while empoloyees contact the Human Resources Office) and follow the NYSDOH Order on isolation and the guidance of the governing local health department on length of isolation and the timing of return to campus. Isolation dates for COVID-positive students, faculty or staff are determined by the County DOH. 

All individuals who test positive for COVID-19 are required to submit a health clearance before they can return to campus (students must notify the Wellness Center while empoloyees contact the Human Resources Office).

Yes. 

No. Medical experts cannot say conclusively if the Covid vaccine keeps people from passing the virus on to others. If you have a confirmed exposure to a COVID positive individual you will be advised to quarantine as per OC DOH current guidance.

You will be asked to attest to your employment status at the time you present for the vaccine. A valid college ID card or recent pay stub should suffice.