STEP 1

Identify testing demand in your community or organization

Before proceeding with offering testing, organizations need to determine their testing demand and make decisions on the following:

• Populations to be tested, e.g., all employers in organization or in a given building. Note: for the best results in preventing new infections or outbreaks, the Testing Task Force recommends that all employees in a given facility be tested regardless of job title or position
• Determine location where testing will be performed in the facility
• Testing can be performed in people with COVID-19 symptoms or people without symptoms. When testing people without COVID-19 symptoms, the recommend testing frequency is at least 2 times per week
• Pre-entry testing: Testing can also be performed if rapid results are needed for entry into a congregate setting (e.g., shelter) or an event (e.g., live performance, sporting event)  

Choose an IT platform for reporting

Organizations using the state’s CLIA Certificate of Waiver (under its Laboratory Director) and Ordering Physician will use the state’s contracted IT platform, Primary, to help with participant registration, participant consent, test result management, and mandated electronic reporting to public health (CalREDIE). Primary will provide training related to use of its software.

For organizations not using the state’s CLIA Certificate of Waiver and Ordering Physician, the state recommends using an IT platform of the organization’s choice to support registration and reporting. Depending on the vendor, choosing an IT platform may require contracting with the vendor. The preferred IT platform must be specified in the application form.

IT platforms include:

1. Primary 
2. CalREDIE
3. Navica

Submit application form

After identifying the testing demand, if your organization is interested in partnering with the state, please submit the antigen testing application form.

Note: entities without CLIA waivers who have existing stocks of BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Card tests can now onboard to the Testing Task Force’s antigen testing offering by submitting the application form. These entities can use the state’s CLIA waiver, ordering physician, and IT platform, and their existing antigen test supplies to test worker cohorts. At this time, the state’s CLIA waiver may only be used for the BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Card tests, not with any other COVID-19 tests, including other antigen tests.

Once submitted, a representative will reach out to you within 3-5 business days.

Develop plans for confirmatory PCR testing

Confirmatory PCR testing is required when: an individual receives a positive antigen test result OR is symptomatic (e.g., fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat) and receives a negative antigen test result. In both these situations a confirmatory PCR test is required (see section Begin testing and deliver antigen test results).

Note: for organizations using the state’s CLIA Certificate of Waiver under its Laboratory Director and Ordering Physician, the CDPH Valencia Branch State Public Laboratory is the preferred laboratory for performing molecular testing for SARS-CoV-2.

For organizations not using the statewide CLIA Certificate of Waiver and Ordering Physician, CDPH strongly recommends setting up plans for confirmatory PCR testing. There are 3 available options:

1. Partner with the Valencia Branch Laboratory (VBL) to set up PCR testing at your organization. For more information on VBL, please see here. Organizations can indicate interest in partnering with VBL for PCR testing on the application form. Once approved, organizations will receive an email to onboard to the state’s online platform for PCR testing. In addition, organizations will be responsible for shipping and packaging samples to the lab. 
2. Continue using your existing PCR vendor. This option is only available to organizations who are using their own CLIA waiver and ordering physician.
3. Find your own PCR solution. See the Testing Task Force’s Lab List for laboratories in California ready to do COVID-19 testing here. This option is only available to organizations who are using their own CLIA waiver and ordering physician.