With the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, testing services continue to be in high demand.  Testing facilities are dedicated to providing clients with quality testing services to better support patient health.  Because of high testing demands, the California Department of Public Health has developed a 4-tier system directing public health officials, healthcare providers, and laboratories to determine how testing will be prioritized.

Tier 1 Testing

• All patients hospitalized with Covid-19 symptoms
• Under the direction of state and local public health officials, investigation and management of outbreaks, including contact tracing

Tier 2 Testing

• All others with Covid-19 symptoms
• Anyone having close contact with confirmed cases of Covid-19
• Individuals who are asymptomatic, but fall within any of these categories:
  • Those living in high-risk care facilities including nursing homes, residential care facilities for the elderly, correctional facilities, or homeless shelters
  • Any healthcare worker who may have frequent interactions with persons who may have Covid-19 or may have been exposed to SARS-CoV-2.  This includes workers in hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, long-term care facilities, ambulatory surgery centers, health care clinics, pharmacies, blood banks, dialysis centers, hospice care centers, home health providers, homeless and residential care facilities
  • Anyone providing care to a disabled person in their home, including someone providing care through the California In-Home Supportive Services Program
  • Emergency services providers who may have come into contact with Covid-19 or been exposed to SARS-CoV-2.  This would include police and fire departments, emergency service response operations, and public safety departments
  • Patients in need of pre-operative hospital admission testing
  • Patients being discharged from the hospital to a lower level of care

Tier 3 Testing

• Asymptomatic individuals who fall within these categories:
  • Individuals working in retail or manufacturing industries who have frequent interactions with the public or work in an environment where six-feet of social distancing is not practical on an on-going basis
  • Individuals working in the food services industry who have frequent public contact, such as in grocery stores, convenience stores, restaurants, and grocery or meal delivery services
  • Individuals working in the agricultural or food manufacturing industry who have frequent contact with the public or work in an environment where it is not possible to maintain six-feet of social distancing regularly, such as food production and processing facilities, slaughter facilities, harvesting sites or facilities, and food packaging facilities
  • Individuals working in public transit, passenger rail service, passenger ferry service, public airports, and commercial airlines
  • Individuals working in the education sector, who have frequent interactions with students or the public, such as public and private childcare facilities, public and private pre-kindergarten schools, primary and secondary schools, and public and private colleges and universities

Tier 4 Testing

• Tier 4 testing would be implemented when California’s turnaround time, as monitored by CDPH is less than 48 hours
• Other individuals who are not specifically mentioned above, including those who are asymptomatic but believe they are at risk of infection

If you would like more information about Covid-19 testing or feel you have been exposed, you can contact Primex Labs.

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