FEMA Coronavirus - CBTS Fact Sheet

COVID-19

Community-Based Testing Sites (CBTS)

FACT SHEET ■ States and the private sector have teamed up with the federal government to provide Community-Based Testing Sites to Americans who need it the most.

■ Community-Based Testing Sites are focused on testing our healthcare facility workers and first responders who are working around the clock to provide care, compassion, and safety to Americans. It is critical to test healthcare facility workers and first responders who are symptomatic and concerned that they may have been exposed to COVID-19 because they need to know their status as soon as possible in order to prevent infecting individuals in their care.

■ CBTS is a tool for states, local public health agencies, and healthcare systems to use as they work together to stop the spread of COVID-19 in their communities. CBTSs are state managed, locally executed, and federally assisted entities that will be fully transitioned to the states.

Main Priorities › Safety and Quality Control Supplies The federal government procured a defined list of items required for testing through the Strategic National Stockpile and on the private market. The federal government provided the states and private partners with a list of what the federal government would ship and a list of what the states needed to provide in order for the site to become operational.

Number of Sites The federal government supplied states and private partners with enough supplies to operate over 40 sites across the United States.

COVID-19

Community-Based Testing Sites (CBTS)

Criteria Sites begin with testing symptomatic health care workers and first responders and then proceed to the most vulnerable elderly Americans who are at risk for serious complications. The CBTSs are currently focused on testing health care facility workers and first responders, as well as seniors aged 65 and older with a temperature of 99.6 degrees or higher and respiratory symptoms; however, this testing criteria differs by site and some sites may require pre-registration.

Operations States, and in some cases, private partners, are responsible for running these sites. The federal government provided states and private partners with a Concept of Operations document and criteria on how to set up and operate the site.

Personnel Members of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps have been deployed to each site to support the state and private partners.

Throughput Each site is limited to 250 samples per site per day to manage the testing load at LabCorp and Quest Diagnostics.

The Lab and Results Process After the test is performed, the swab is placed in the collection tube where a unique barcode is affixed to it. The collection tube and requisition form (with the same unique barcode) is placed into the sample bag. Sites are responsible for packaging the specimens into boxes.

The federal government has contracted with FedEx to pick-up twice-a-day and ship the specimens to Lab Corp and Quest Diagnostics. After Lab Corp and Quest complete the test, they will notify the state health department and our federally-contracted call center. The call center will call each individual and give them their results. In order to participate as a CBTS, a site is required to use our shipping and lab solution and adhere to the labeling process. This is imperative for data accuracy, patient privacy, and lab efficiency.