November 13, 2020

Sign-Up for Optional Pre-Travel COVID Testing!

The Lewis & Clark Health Service will be offering optional COVID testing for all undergraduate, graduate and law students the week of November 16.

Dear Students,

The Lewis & Clark Health Service will be offering optional COVID testing for all undergraduate, graduate and law students the week of November 16. Sign up for this testing is now open. This testing is designed for asymptomatic individuals who wish to be tested as a precaution prior to travel, as well as for individuals who must document COVID testing results as a condition of entry into another state or country.

If you have any COVID-like symptoms, do not sign up or attend this testing. Instead, call the Health Service at 503-768-7160.

Any student who will be returning to an environment where there are members of the household who might be at risk of severe illness due to COVID should consider being tested prior to returning to that household. Bear in mind that any testing conducted on-campus prior to a student’s departure is not a guarantee that the student will be COVID-free after their travel, so social distancing, wearing masks, and hand hygiene will continue to be important for students both during and after their travel.

If you have been diagnosed with COVID since September 15, there is a significant chance that any COVID test you take during the week of November 16 would yield a positive result. For this reason, we ask that individuals who have tested positive with COVID since September 15 do not participate in next week’s testing.

Most students who wish to participate in our pre-departure testing should sign up for the Health Service mass testing clinic on Monday, November 16, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Pamplin Sports Complex on the undergraduate campus. Students who need documentation of testing as a condition of entry into another state or country should NOT sign up for testing on November 16, but should read the information lower in this e-mail for instructions on how to proceed.

 

Details related to the November 16 testing clinic

 

The cost for this testing will be $65. The Health Service expects to know the results of these tests no later than end-of-day on Thursday, November 19. Only students who test positive will be notified of their test results by the 19th. The cost of this testing clinic will be charged to students’ accounts. Students may print receipts from the Health Information Portal and submit receipts to their health insurance programs for potential reimbursement. The student health insurance plan will reimburse students who submit receipts for 100% of the cost of this testing.

 

The Student Resources Committee of the Associated Students of Lewis & Clark (ASLC) has allocated funds toward helping with the out-of pocket costs of testing for undergraduate students experiencing financial hardship. Students can apply for funds using this link, but please note that prior to applying for funds, students are expected to submit a claim to their health insurance carrier. Please contact Cas Mulford at aslcresources@lclark.edu with any questions.

 

To sign up for the November 16 testing clinic, please do so through the “Apptmts” (appointments) tab at the top of your homescreen in the Health Information Portal. We encourage you to make your appointment as soon as possible. Be sure to read the instructions at the bottom of this e-mail related to preparing for your testing experience. If student demand for testing exceeds our testing capacity on November 16, we will be in touch about our plan to schedule an additional testing clinic for next week.

 

Testing for students who need testing documentation as a condition of entry into another state or country

 

If you are traveling to a state or country where testing must occur within a limited window prior to departure (e.g., 72 hours), you can request individual testing through the Health Service on either Wednesday, November 18; Thursday, November 19; or Friday, November 20. These testing dates are only for students who need special documentation of testing relative to travel. Students are responsible for knowing the specific testing requirements of the state or country to which they will be traveling. The Health Service has the ability to send tests through Quest Diagnostics, which is an approved testing partner for the state of Hawaii. The cost and billing arrangements for this individualized testing may fluctuate, depending on the specific test administered. To sign up for one of these individual testing times, please phone the Health Service at 503-768-7165 as soon as possible. The Health Service is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

 

Testing confidentiality, support for positive results, and questions

 

Testing results are confidential and will remain secure within Wellness Services. Should any student participate in this voluntary testing program and test positive for COVID-19, the College will provide guidance related to postponing travel and entering isolation. Isolation housing will be made available to residential students who need to postpone travel.

 

Please direct any questions about this testing program to Ami Hanna, Wellness Services Case Manager and Contact Tracer, at hannae@lclark.edu. We will respond to e-mails as quickly as we are able, and appreciate your patience as we work to serve all the students who desire testing.

 

Special instructions for those students signing up for testing on November 16:

 

  1. A number of parking spots have been reserved in lot D. There are many stairsteps between lot D and the Pamplin entrance. If navigating these steps will pose a problem for you, please park in the reserved spots in lot F.

  2. Students will be tested using a PCR saliva test. When you come to the test, be sure that you have not had anything to eat, drink, smoke, or chew for 30 minutes before you test. Do not brush your teeth during that 30-minute time window. It is OK to drink water during that time period. Students should familiarize themselves with this procedure prior to their test date by reading this testing consent form and the fact sheet. Students must bring their own pen with them on the testing date to sign the consent form.