PSD : Introducing Test To Stay

Press release from the Peninsula School District:

2021-09-25

Dear Peninsula School District Staff and Families,

This fall, school districts in Washington State have been excluding students from school who were close contacts to someone with COVID-19; almost all of these students never contract the virus, and a lot of school is being missed. To help address this issue, the Test To Stay program has been launched to keep healthy students in school as much as safely possible.

Peninsula School District is currently working with the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department to design a voluntary, parent consent testing program for students who are (a) showing symptoms of COVID-19 while at school and school-related events or (b) unvaccinated and designated as close contacts of an individual at school or school-related events who tests positive for COVID-19.

Previously, unvaccinated students who were designated to be close contacts were required to quarantine at home for 14 days. This program will allow unvaccinated students who have been identified as close contacts to continue to learn in-person at school while monitoring for COVID-19 symptoms.

Details about PSD’s Test to Stay program will be shared with families in the coming days. Until then, we want families to know that any unvaccinated student who is identified as a close contact, may be tested outside of school by a healthcare professional in order to remain in school.

If the test is negative and a copy of the test is provided to the school, then the student may continue to attend school in a modified quarantine status. During modified quarantine, your student may only attend school but will not be allowed to participate in any non-classroom school activities, such as athletics, extracurricular and community activities, group childcare, or youth development programs. This is a requirement of the Department of Health and Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department’s Test to Stay program.

COVID-19 testing, combined with disease prevention strategies, can help our schools detect new cases to prevent outbreaks, reduce the risk of further transmission, and protect students, teachers, and other staff from COVID-19. For more information about COVID-19 testing strategies for Washington K-12 schools, please visit this website. 

Thank you.
 
Below are some common questions about Test to Stay:

What is a close contact?
A close contact is defined by the health department as an individual who has spent 15 or more minutes over a 24-hour period within 6 feet of the confirmed case, or within 3 feet in a K-12 indoor classroom setting. Each confirmed case in PSD is contact traced and families are notified if their student is determined to be a close contact.

What if my student is identified as a close contact of someone with COVID-19 at school, is unvaccinated and tests negative?
As a part of the Test to Stay program, your student may continue to attend class in a modified quarantine for seven days after exposure, unless they develop symptoms or test positive for COVID-19. If your student continues to be COVID-19-free, they will need to be tested again 5-7 days after initial exposure.  During this 7 day modified quarantine, your student may attend class but may not participate in athletics or extracurricular activities.  On day 8, they will be able to resume normal activities even if test results are not yet returned.

What if my student is identified as a close contact of someone with COVID-19 at school, is unvaccinated, and tests positive? 
If the student tests positive, the student will be sent home for the identified isolation period, usually 14 days.

What if my child is identified as a close contact but has been vaccinated?
Students who are vaccinated and remain symptom-free do not need to be tested, even if identified as a close contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.

This press release was produced by the Peninsula School District. The views expressed here are the author’s own.