Oldham County Schools offering testing program to ease COVID-19 quarantines for students, staff
Oldham County Schools is giving students and staff more flexibility with quarantines to minimize learning disruptions amid the ongoing surge of COVID-19.
In a letter sent to parents, the school district announced a "Test to Stay" option that will allow students or staff to take daily tests during quarantine periods to see whether they can attend school that day.
"Our goal is to reduce quarantine time for staff and students so they will have access to as much in-person instruction as possible," Superintendent Jason Radford said.
The school district is partnering with Pearl Diagnostic Laboratory to provide free rapid antigen testing each morning. The testing sites will not be open to the public and are only for students and staff who are quarantined.
Here's how the program will work:
Once a student or faculty member has been notified they need to quarantine, two forms need to be printed and filled out to bring to the testing site. Staff members will need to bring their IDs.
(Click here to find the consent form and the daily requisition form)
The first testing site will be located at the Oldham County Schools Arts Center and will begin testing Wednesday. The hours are 6 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
Those using the testing option will arrive at the site, park in the designated area and take their temperature and symptoms check before registration. The individual will then get their lower nasal swab and wait 10-15 minutes for results.
If a test comes back negative, the individual will be given a form that needs to be shown to the school so they can attend classes that day.
Positive tests mean the student or staff member needs to begin isolation procedures.
The quarantine period is 5 to 7 days and testing needs to be done daily at a site.
Officials said the tests are voluntary. Individuals still have the option to quarantine, test on day five of quarantine and return to school after day seven if the test comes back negative.
Individuals can choose to not test at all and complete the entire quarantine period.
School district officials said the testing sites will open every day that school is in session. They will start with the first location and plan to add additional sites over time.