September 7, 2021
Hello 4th-6th Grade Parents,
Many of you have reached out to the office in your quest to find testing for your student who was exposed to COVID-19. We know some of you have been successful, some of you have traveled far and wide and many of you have had little to no luck securing the needed test, especially prior to the end of quarantine. We know this has been a frustrating and time consuming endeavor.
We have been in contact with the County Health Department frequently asking questions. We shared the difficulty our families have experienced in trying to get testing. We shared that testing timelines will take as long as quarantine for many. We asked them for a solution to help with future possible quarantines and pleaded for other options, even if less desirable.
Late this afternoon they shared that PCR testing is strongly preferred and should be the standard but antigen (rapid) testing is acceptable for early release from quarantine. This is good news moving forward and we are very happy that antigen tests give our families few more options.
Please note that a positive antigen test will require a follow-up PCR test and any quarantined person with symptoms should get a PCR test.
Timelines are still required regardless of the type of test. In other words, the soonest a quarantined person can get a test for returning to school would be on the 6th day of quarantine if no symptoms have developed. The quarantine clock begins the day after the COVID exposure.
Moving forward this is good news for our families should we get into another quarantine situation. Depending upon the parent’s choice to get their student tested, this will open up more options.
We appreciate everyone’s commitment to getting their student(s) back to school as well as your patience as we continue to navigate school during a pandemic. Whether it is distance learning, a hybrid model or a full return to school, the pandemic has had an impact on every aspect of it.
Sincerely,
The Office Staff
