COLLEGE STATION, Texas — The Texas A&M University System is offering free COVID-19 testing to all of its faculty, students and staff and testing could begin as early as later this week.
This comes after Chancellor John Sharp reached an agreement with Curative Inc., a national testing company based in California. About 15,000 test kits will be sent to system campuses each month and each campus will then establish an online test registration so people will be able to make an appointment to get the test done.
"Ensuring the health and safety of our students is our top priority," said Chancellor Sharp in a statement released to the public. "Facilitating increased accessibility and availability of COVID-19 testing will help us mitigate the spread and help to protect each other by taking preventative and proactive measures."
The swab test is free, but the university system is asking people who have insurance to get testing done through their primary care physician, so there will be enough test kits for people who do not have insurance.
These tests will not be made available to the general public and most of the testing results will be made available within two days. The test kits will be sent out each month.
The system is asking students, faculty and staff to get tested if they are having symptoms of COVID-19 or they believe they may have come into contact with another person with the virus. Close contact includes being less than six feet with someone for more than 15 minutes, 48 hours before the person showed symptoms. You are encouraged to get tested for possible exposure, even if you were wearing a mask.