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SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Students across the country have returned to classrooms, but whether they stay there may depend on how their schools are controlling COVID-19.
Utah was the first in the country to try the “Test to Stay” protocol last school year.
The goal is to keep children who test negative in school rather than sending them home during an epidemic.
The kids at Kearns High School in Kearns, Utah, started learning in person about a month ago.
Last year the school tried the Test to Stay strategy as part of a pilot program.
Once the number of COVID-19 cases reached a certain threshold, he tested everyone for the virus over a two-day period.
“At that point, we were able to continue the school year with those who tested negative,” said Granite School District spokesperson Ben Horsley.
Kearns High School in Kearns, Utah tested all students as part of the “Test to Stay” pilot program from December 7-8, 2020. The Test to Stay protocol is now enshrined in state law .
(Granite School District)
After the pilot tests, the Utah legislature promulgated the protocol in March.
Schools with 1,500 or more students must test everyone if 2% of the student body has COVID-19. Schools with fewer than 1,500 students must test everyone if 30 or more people have COVID-19.
“Once that threshold is reached, we will come and do a scan of the entire student body,” said Maggie Graul, K-12 testing program manager at the Utah Department of Health.
“It is entirely possible that schools will meet this Test to Stay threshold several times during the school year,” she added.
The State Department of Health provided the tests and staff.
Four Utah schools hit the threshold last week, prompting a Test to Stay event. In total, they performed around 3,600 tests. Ninety were positive.
Meanwhile, Kearns High School has remained unscathed for the time being, with fewer than five active cases of COVID-19. It would start a Test to Stay event if the number of active cases reached around 46.
“This is the main protocol that we take into account in an outbreak, it is what we will use to identify potential cases,” Horsley said.
Utah is among the states that have banned schools from requiring masks.
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Children who test positive should always be quarantined at home for 10 days.
While Utah schools used Test to Stay last year, the protocol is a recent development for schools in other areas such as Marietta, Georgia. Some schools in southwestern Ohio and northern Kentucky are also using the strategy.
But Test to Stay may look different in every area.
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In Utah, testing is done until the number of cases again hits the threshold. Schools in other states can test daily.
Parents should contact local health departments and school districts for safety and health guidelines.
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