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*Media opportunities will be available today at Gage Elementary School.
NEWS RELEASE
San Diego Unified to Provide At-Home COVID-19 Tests for All Students
Students are encouraged to take two at-home rapid antigen COVID-19 tests before returning to school after the winter break
December 15, 2021
SAN DIEGO – San Diego Unified School District is providing a kit of two COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Tests for all students to self-test at home prior to returning to campus after winter break in January.
The iHealth COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Tests were provided by the California Department of Public Health and will be distributed to the more than 98,000 students in San Diego Unified this week.
"Many students will be traveling or gathering with friends and family over the winter break, and with a recent up-tick in case rates and the new omicron variant, students may be exposed to COVID-19," said Board of Education President Richard Barrera. "These at-home rapid tests will help all of our students and their families have greater peace of mind about returning to school safely in January."
Students should take the first self-administered test on December 31 -- three days before their return to school. The second at-home test should be taken the morning of January 3, 2022 before coming to school.
Students who receive a positive result from either test should stay home and contact their doctor and school right away, and should follow any further instructions before returning to campus.
Combating this virus takes a multi-tiered approach, of which vaccination and regular testing are key elements. San Diego Unified is asking all students, regardless of vaccination status, to take this extra step and test themselves twice before returning to school as an extra layer of protection.
In addition to these at-home rapid antigen COVID-19 test kits the district is encouraging families to take advantage of the holiday break to get vaccinated if they have yet to do so. It is also a good time to go back to the basics in health and safety precautions. That means washing hands frequently, avoiding large crowds and wearing masks.
"We want our students and their families to take common-sense precautions to protect themselves so we can all return to a safe learning environment after the winter break," said Susan Barndollar, executive director of nursing and wellness for San Diego Unified. "That includes not only using these at-home test kits, but also practicing good hygiene habits."
Students who miss the distribution of the COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test Kits should plan to make appointments for testing through their health care provider or by visiting the County website<https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/sdc/hhsa/programs/phs/community_epidemiology/dc/2019-nCoV/testing.html> to find free testing locations.
MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES
WHERE: Gage Elementary School, 6811 Bisby Lake Ave, San Diego, CA 92119
WHEN: Wednesday, Dec 15, 11:30 a.m.
WHO: Susan Barndollar RN, MN, FNP, Executive Director, Nursing & Wellness; Richard Barrera, Board of Education President
VISUALS: At-home rapid antigen COVID-19 testing kits
MEDIA CONTACT: Communications Director Maureen Magee, (619) 381-7930, mmagee@sandi.net<mailto:mmagee@sandi.net>
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