Cal Poly to ramp up testing as COVID-19 cases continue to rise

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - Cal Poly says it is taking steps to address the rise in COVID-19 cases among students.

On Tuesday, university president Jeffrey Armstrong announced the school will ramp up testing for the next quarter.

By January, Armstrong said, the school expects to be able to test 4,000 people per day.

Tests will be conducted out of Cal Poly's own labs and will include wastewater testing.

This allows the university to identify areas like dorms where there's a positive case, and then find the person who is sick more quickly.

Armstrong says for the first two weeks of winter quarter all on-campus students will be tested at least once a week, but many will be tested twice.

After that, they'll still be tested regularly.

Just as the school did for fall quarter, students also have to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of coming on campus.

San Luis Obispo County has seen a rise in coronavirus cases, putting the county on the brink of falling back in the county's reopening plan. The public health department has singled out Cal Poly as part of the reason for the increase in cases.

For a breakdown of coronavirus cases at Cal Poly, click here.