Ten million COVID-19 tests are being distributed nationwide as part of President Joe Biden’s plan to keep students in classrooms for in-person learning, known as “Test-to-Stay.”
Under the new initiative, unvaccinated students who have a close contact with COVID-19 will now be tested by a school nurse up to three times. Provided that they test negative and are asymptomatic, the student will be able to remain in school.
The Biden Administration will send hundreds of thousands of free COVID-19 tests to five school districts in New Jersey. Included in those five districts is Union City, according to Mayor Brian Stack and Superintendent of Schools Silvia Abbato.
The kits distributed to the district will include both rapid antigen tests, which produce immediate results, and PCR tests, which require lab analysis. They are being sent to state governments for distribution to the selected school districts.
“We are using every tool available to us to protect our students, school district employees, and the entire community,” said Stack. “I want to thank President Biden for creating this important initiative and Governor Murphy for selecting Union City as one of the first districts to begin implementing it.”
Prior to reopening on Jan. 18 after temporarily shifting to virtual instruction for the first two weeks of the month due to COVID-19, the Union City School District distributed approximately 15,000 at-home rapid-test kits to its students. According to the district, approximately 90 percent of students used them, allowing schools to resume in-person learning more safely.
According to Abbato, the incoming supply will allow the district to implement the Test-to-Stay initiative. In the past, anyone who had close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 had to quarantine for fourteen days.
“Our district is pleased to be among the first in the nation to pilot this new program,” said Abbato. “It adds another layer of protection for our students and staff, while allowing students to continue with the in-person learning that is so vital to their development.”
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