Home testing kits for COVID-19
Following on from the President’s message on February 16, KAUST is making the COVID-19 home testing kits available to each KAUST household, employee and student.
Our KAUST testing kit distribution program aims to provide a limited number of kits to the community as a starting point. This program is similar to our face-covering program, where we distributed a limited number of masks as an initial resource in 2020.
The distribution program will be as follows:
- Each individual household in KAUST will be provided a pack of 4 tests.
- Each person in a KAUST shared accommodation will be provided 1 testing kit.
- Each KAUST employee and Contract Workforce employee living outside KAUST will be provided 1 testing kit.
- Graduate Affairs will distribute testing kits for students and their dependents under separate cover, so please refer to their guidance for distribution instructions.
Distribution for points 1-3 will take place at the location and times listed below, and kits will be provided to either the primary or their spouse showing their KAUST ID:
- Location: KAUST Fire Department
- Dates: February 20, 21, 23 and 24 (note there will be no distribution on February 22, Saudi Founding Day)
- Times: 7:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. each day
Home testing kits for COVID-19 now available for purchase
We are happy to confirm that the Saud Pharmacy branch in Discovery Square has home testing kits available for purchase by the community. They are open seven days a week from 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m. and offer delivery from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
COVID-19 vaccines in KAUST
KAUST Health will now be making available COVID-19 vaccines for those 12 years of age and older as well as children between the ages of 5 and 11 on a weekly basis while supplies last. Appointments for the vaccine at KAUST Health are available on:
- Children aged 12 and older: Monday and Wednesday from 1 to 4 pm. Bookings can be made here.
- Between 5 to 11 years old: Sunday and Tuesday from 3 to 4.30 pm. Bookings can be made here.
Please ensure that if you book a vaccine slot you attend and do so at the appropriate date and time.
In addition to appointments in KAUST Health, vaccine appointments for everyone age five and up remain available through Sehhaty and Tawakkalna for locations in Jeddah and the region. Please make sure you upload the vaccine to the KAUST vaccine monitoring form.
February 20 COVID-19 update
As of February 20, there were 28 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed at KAUST since the last bulletin on February 13.
In the last seven days, the majority of cases have been found from symptomatic testing, with the remainder from pre-departure travel testing.
The 14-day positivity rate* at KAUST is currently NA as of February 20, 2022.
We remind all community members that we are currently operating in Keeping KAUST Safe Tier 1B.
* Positivity rate = % of positive tests returned from the total number of tests taken during a 14-day period. Excludes where the result is still pending or the swab was rejected. ** This rate will only be displayed if the number of tests conducted achieves a given significant threshold (724 tests). Over the past 14-day period, 605 tests were conducted, with 96 positive cases.
Where to turn when you need to know
- Facilities Management – 012 (808) 0959 or email FMCallcenter@kaust.edu.sa
- Human Resources – 012 (808) 2055 or email HRHelpdesk@kaust.edu.sa
- Health, Safety & Environment – visit the website
- Graduate Affairs – 012 (808) 3412 or schelpdesk@kaust.edu.sa
- KAUST Health – 012 (808) 0940 or visit the KAUST Health website
- Wellness services – visit the Health, Safety and Environment website
