Updated COVID-19 Testing Program starts this week in Oakland
February 14, 2022 •
Regular COVID-19 testing is an essential part of UCOP’s COVID-19 Prevention Plan to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. While we have interim testing programs in place in Oakland, UCPath and UCDC, we are updating our program to include a test-to-return/test-to-stay approach to support everyone’s health and well-being and help mitigate potential transmission at the office by moving most testing to at-home testing before entering a UCOP facility.
The updated COVID-19 testing program starts this week in Oakland and will continue to be mandatory and monitored against badge data. The UCOP COVID-19 Response Team is working with leadership for Riverside and Sacramento to update and/or implement testing programs in the future that follow this approach. Our Washington, D.C. testing program is also operational.
Notable updates
- Test-to-Return: Employees are required to test the first day returning to on-site work after being away from the office for a weekend or other extended period, such as vacation, sick leave, etc. (unless the extended period is due to isolation or quarantine, then follow UCOP Return to Work guidelines).
- Test-to-Stay: Employees are required to continue to test (test-to-stay) based on their vaccination status and number of days on-site.
- UCOP-provided test supply: We have designed the program so that individual vaccination status will not be apparent to colleagues. If you regularly work on-site, you will receive six tests each time you request and pick up test kits, regardless of your vaccination status. This number was chosen so that if an employee is required to test every day they are on-site, they will have enough tests to test five days in a week with one test left to test after the weekend before they come into the office. This approach will also cut down on the number of times employees need to pick up tests.
- Changes to testing location and hours: Effective immediately, the Work Management Center has changed test pick up times to Monday – Friday between 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. On-site testing will now be available in Lobby 1 between 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. if necessary and for those who come to the Oakland facility on an occasional basis.
- Changes to test kit request form: The UCOP COVID-19 Testing Program – Pick-up Request SmartSheet now includes more options that determine the number of tests you will receive. You may complete this form in advance of your arrival or use the laptop in the Franklin lobby.
Read the updated UCOP COVID-19 Testing Program Guidelines-Oakland for the complete details, including:
- Testing requirements by vaccination status
- Testing frequency for fully vaccinated staff
- New process for requesting test kits and how to request test kits after pick-up hours
- Instructions for testing and actions to take by test result
5 things to know about the testing program
1. Who needs to test and where?
All staff, non-construction contractors, vendors and visitors who work on-site for more than one hour are required to test. You will not be allowed on-site beyond the Franklin Lobby without doing so.
The UCOP test-to-return requirement moves most testing to at-home testing before arrival to the office, with the following exceptions:
- Employees, visitors, vendors, and non-construction contractors who come to a UCOP facility less than one hour are not required to test
- Remote employees who come on-site occasionally will test on-site and will not receive a supply of tests
- Occasional visitors, non-construction contractors, and vendors will test on-site and will not receive a supply of tests
2. How often do I need to test?
How often you need to test depends on your vaccination status and the number of days you will be on-site each week. You must follow the testing frequency as noted in the following table. The updated UCOP COVID-19 Testing Program Guidelines-Oakland includes a detailed testing schedule for those who are fully vaccinated.
Testing requirements by vaccination status
| Vaccination Status | On-site 3 or more days per week | On-site 2 or less days per week |
| Fully vaccinated and up-to-date booster | Test 2 times per week | Test 1 time per week |
| Partially vaccinated (eligible, but not current with vaccine booster series) |
Test every day on-site at a UCOP facility | Test every day on-site at a UCOP facility |
| Not vaccinated with an approved exemption | Test every day on-site at a UCOP facility | Test every day on-site at a UCOP facility |
3. How do I get a UCOP-provided COVID-19 test outside of the Work Management Center hours?
If you are planning to come on-site after normal testing center hours and need to pick up test kits or test on-site, you must receive approval by emailing UCOP-COVID19-Testing@ucop.edu at least three business days in advance of your arrival.
4. What do I do for my set-up day in Oakland since I’ve not yet started coming on-site on a regular basis?
If you have an extra test already at home (UCOP or personally provided), you can use that test at home before entering a UCOP facility. If it is a personally provided test, you can submit a request to replace it via the UCOP COVID-19 Testing Program – Pick-up Request SmartSheet.
If you do not have a test kit available at home, you will need to conduct the test on-site on your set-up day. When testing on-site, allow extra time –approximately 30 minutes –to get and administer the test, wait for your result, and document it. If your result is negative, you can then proceed with your scheduled activities. Check with your Department Move Coordinator for any specific testing instructions for your set-up day.
If you have questions, please email UCOP-COVID19-Testing@ucop.edu.
Tags: COVID-19, COVID-19 testing
