Fairfield University is retesting its students and staff following an "unacceptable number of issues" with the lab they used to run COVID-19 tests, the university said in a statement to the university community.
The university initially planned to have COVID-19 tests completed before arriving on campus.
The lab, InHouse Physicians, allegedly experienced a significant malfunction with its internal traceability system, causing false results and an inability to guarantee that results were assigned to the correct people, the university said.
The university is advising anyone who has already taken a saliva test with InHouse Physicians to disregard their results.
Fairfield University says they can now test students and staff at on-site testing clinics using new Abbott Laboratory rapid testing machines. This testing method is a swab test that will provide results within 15 minutes, according to the university.
The university said they have arranged to bring 35 testing machines to campus, along with the necessary medical personnel to support their use. These machines can process up to 800 tests a day, according to the university.
Students and staff also have the option of obtaining their own PCR COVID-19 test privately. For more information on how to obtain a private COVID-19 test or where to submit test results, visit the university's website.
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Anyone who receives a positive COVID-19 test and lives within 300 miles of the university will be asked to return home if possible. For students who test positive and can't return home, they will be quarantined on campus, the university said.
