DC School Students, Staff Need To Show Proof Of Negative COVID Test

WASHINGTON, DC — DC Public Schools students and staff members will be required to show a negative COVID-19 test result before returning to school next week after winter break, city officials said Wednesday.

Rapid antigen tests will be available to pick up at any DCPS school Monday and Tuesday.

Families must test their children on Tuesday, Jan. 4, and upload the results — either a photo or PDF, along with contact information — to dcps.dc.gov/safereturn by 4 p.m. on Tuesday.

Parents also can call 202-442-5885 if they need help administering the COVID-19 test on their child.

Any student who does not produce a negative test on Tuesday will not be allowed to return when schools reopen on Wednesday, Jan. 5, DCPS Chancellor Lewis Ferebee said at a COVID-19 briefing Wednesday.

If a student tests positive, they should contact their school’s main office to let them know about the reason for their absence. Any student who tests positive for COVID-19 should then follow the proper procedures for isolation, Ferebee said.

Ferebee said that individual schools may return to virtual learning during the remainder of the school year if there is a COVID-19 outbreak at the school, based on guidance from health officials.

About 650 DCPS staff members, including teachers, have tested positive for COVID-19 in November and December, officials said Wednesday.

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