UCSC to double testing capacity
The Colligan Clinical Diagnostic Laboratory will be dedicated to COVID-19 testing
SANTA CRUZ >> UC Santa Cruz is expecting to double its COVID-19 testing capacity in the near future thanks to a donation from two Santa Cruz locals.
Bud and Rebecca Colligan donated an undisclosed amount to the university to expand testing and construct a new laboratory on campus dubbed the Colligan Clinical Diagnostic Laboratory, which will be dedicated to COVID-19 testing.
“We are pleased to support the important work of UCSC in addressing the immediate need in our community for increased COVID-19 testing, as well as a long-term vision to use the lab for clinical research and testing related to pediatric cancers,” Rebecca told UC Santa Cruz.
The Colligans have been longtime supporters of the university. A previous donation from the couple provided funding for the Colligan Presidential Chair in Pediatric Genomics. Now the addition of the testing lab further expands their impact on the university and the community at large.
Currently, UC Santa Cruz tests approximately 800 people a day and around 3,000 people a week. It has also been able to return results with 24 to 48 hours. The new facility will allow the university to double that rate to nearly 6,000 coronavirus tests each week, according to a press release from the university.
The gift is coming at a time when the community needs it most. Coronavirus cases have surged across the county, which forced county officials to drop from the Orange-Moderate tier to the Purple-Widespread tier of the California Blueprint for a Safer Economy.
Continued spread leaves the possibility of a second Stay-At-Home Order looming over the county.
“The numbers fluctuate,” said Executive Director of the UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute Isabel Bjork in the press release. “We have
seen big spikes from some of our partners, but our model is to be responsive to emergencies, and we are working to address their needs.”
UC Santa Cruz has extended a hand to other testing sites that have been deemed critical by the county public health department. It is also reaching out to organizations that work with diverse and underserved populations within the county.
The Colligans cite this as to why they came to the decision to donate to the university once more.
“For us, the real driving factor is that the UCSC testing lab is serving as a first line of defense for vulnerable populations and first responders in the community,” Bud said to UC Santa Cruz.
The university has plans for the use of the laboratory after the need for wide
spread COVID-19 testing has diminished. It plans to adapt the lab for the use of clinical testing, particularly for pediatric cancer, according to the press release.
The new lab is expected to start operations shortly after the new year. The university was unable to offer a specific date the lab will open, as that will depend on when the necessary work on the facility can be completed.