ABOUT THE ANNOUNCEMENT
On Dec. 22, 2021, the California Department of Health (CDPH) announced it is offering no-cost, at-home COVID-19 antigen rapid tests for K-12 students in public and charter schools. The tests will supplement existing safety measures already in place in schools as an added precaution because of the rise in COVID-19 transmission in California. Please see the Dec. 22 press release or visit the California Safe Schools for All Hub for more information.
DISTRIBUTION OF TESTS
The CDPH will deliver testing kits to county offices of education to distribute to schools and districts. The San Joaquin County Office of Education (SJCOE) has not received the testing kits as of this posting. Once the SJCOE receives the allocation for San Joaquin County, participating schools and districts will be able to pick up the testing kits for their school communities. Families will then be informed by their school/district about the process for testing.
IMPORTANCE OF TESTING
Taking the tests are not required to attend school. However, testing -- along with vaccination, face-covering, improved ventilation, and other safety measures – helps us prevent the spread of COVID-19 at our schools. It will also help support our local public health officials with collecting data to better understand COVID-19 in schools so that we can maintain safe in-person learning.