RALEIGH, N.C. — Officials with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services say they are launching a pilot program to deploy rapid coronavirus testing in K-12 public schools in order to quickly identify students and staff who test positive.
Public schools who offer any in-person instruction are eligible to apply including public school districts, charter school networks, or individual charter schools, officials say.
Officials say the selected pilot schools will get federally funded antigen tests to be used for any staff or students who exhibit COVID-19 symptoms or who come in close contact with someone who has tested positive for the virus.
“Having rapid tests available in our schools in another important tool to both slow the spread of the virus and keep our children in the classroom. With increased community spread, these tests add to the other safety protocols in place at K-12 schools to protect our students, teachers and staff,” said NCDHHS Secretary Mandy K. Cohen, M.D.
Any local education agency looking to apply for the program must submit a readiness checklist for each participating school to their local health department, officials say.
Heath officials say that checklist confirms the school can meet the program’s requirements including getting parent/guardian’s consent prior to testing, maintaining adequate supplies of personal protective equipment, training personnel to administer tests or partnering with a local health provider, and reporting test results to state and local public health agencies.
Officials say local health departments will submit applications for the pilot program to NCDHHS for local education agencies, after they review readiness checklists.
Applications for the program are due by December 8th, and the NCDHHS will pick which sites out of the pool of eligible applicants, according to a news release.
Officials say the program will use the Abbott BinaxNOW rapid antigen test card, that uses a nasal swab to test for the presence of coronavirus and provides results within 15 minutes.
Click here for more information on the pilot program.
