VIRGINIA, USA — Rapid COVID-19 tests could soon come to a school near you.
As more schools welcome kids back into the classroom, the Virginia Department of Health is preparing to launch a pilot program that would provide school divisions with rapid COVID-19 antigen tests for students and staff.
The program is set to launch this month and will run until the end of the school year.
School divisions have to choose to take part in it, and parents would have to sign consent forms.
Angela Parson-Hameed, a parent living in Norfolk said she’s all for the idea.
“I think rapid testing would be great, cause if you can identify the problem then we know what to do and keep everyone safe,” said Parson-Hameed.
Dr. Laurie Forlano, deputy director of VDH’s Office of Epidemiology said the tests would be used on a regular or weekly basis. School divisions that opt-in would be provided with the BinaxNOW COVID-19 rapid tests, which deliver results in as little as 15 minutes. Forlano said the goal is to launch the program in the next couple of weeks.
“We wanted to make sure that every layer of prevention was available to the teachers and students in those schools and testing is one of those layers. It doesn’t replace the other strategies like distancing and masks, but it does help us identify cases earlier than we might otherwise,” said Forlano.
Forlano said at least a dozen school divisions across Virginia have expressed interest in the program, though nothing is formal as of yet.
Forlano said VDH has hundreds of thousands of the BinaxNOW rapid tests on hand, enough supply to last through June 30. The program is VDH’s push to prevent outbreaks in schools.
“It helps us better understand what’s happening or not happening in schools as far as transmission is concerned and other states that have implemented these programs, several large cities, they’re reporting that it's increasing the confidence of families and teachers and staff,” Forlano said.
The pilot program will be followed by a broader state program coming this summer or fall.
The Commonwealth is set to get some money to run both programs. The federal government announced it’s giving Virginia about $250 million for school testing.