MA Shifts Student Coronavirus Test Burden From Schools To Homes
MASSACHUSETTS — The state will begin shifting the responsibility of coronavirus testing from schools to families as part of its plan to send students and staff home with rapid tests weekly starting Jan. 31.
The program — which begins as optional for districts — is intended to alleviate overwhelmed school nurses from the burden of test-and-stay and contact tracing and allow them to focus on identifying symptomatic coronavirus cases in children. State guidance will advise districts to continue weekly pool testing for students and staff.
"We're asking people to test — regardless of whether they are symptomatic — regularly," Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley said Tuesday. "If you get a positive in a pool, or you get a positive in a home test, then obviously we ask the kids to stay home.
"The nurses have gone above and beyond what anyone could have asked of them. But this is something that is just better for our kids and gives more coverage. And at the same time gives (nurses) more relief."
Districts that opt in to the at-home test option will begin receiving tests next week for distribution starting Jan. 31. Districts that want to continue with the test-and-stay program — in which close contacts can stay in school through daily testing in the nurse's office — may do so, at least for now, but the state is encouraging the shift to the at-home tests.
The school allotment will come out of the 26 million rapid tests the state recently secured. Riley called the ability to test all students at home "a game-changer" and said he expects the new protocol to be in place through at least April vacation.
"Both our medical advisers and the (Department of Public Health) say it's time to pivot," Riley said. "Test-and-stay was conceived and launched before every school-age kid was eligible for a vaccine. All school-age kids are now eligible for a vaccine.
"Massachusetts was one of the first states to launch test-and-stay and the CDC, so many months after our adoption, recently jumped on board as well. But it is now time for us to lead again and change strategies to adapt to the current conditions of this pandemic."
Gov. Charlie Baker said on Tuesday that the home-testing strategy is the latest in the ongoing effort to keep as many kids in the classroom as possible during the current omicron spike and beyond.
"Clearly, in-school transmission is extremely rare," Baker said. "And, as we all know, young people are at much lower risk of getting sick from COVID. In fact, they are the lowest-risk population of all."
Baker said that while testing will be a key component of state and school virus mitigation efforts, vaccinations remain the priority.
"Getting vaccinated is the best thing you can do to protect yourself, our educators and our kids," Baker said. "If you haven't been vaccinated and boosted, please book an appointment."
Baker added that the state will set up vaccination clinics for districts that request them.
"We will go to any school at any time that wants one of these clinics," he said.
This article originally appeared on the Across Massachusetts Patch
