PROVIDENCE – The state revealed on Tuesday a plan for testing students and school staff, which included a daily testing capacity of 4,000 PCR COVID-19 tests and 1,200 rapid tests for students and teachers.
Gov. Gina M. Raimondo said the PCR tests will provide results within 48 hours and the rapid tests will provide results in minutes.
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“Testing is a key piece of the puzzle to keeping everyone safe,” said Raimondo.
Raimondo said if a staff member, teacher or student wakes up and feels sick with any symptoms, they cannot go to school or work that day and will have to schedule a COVID-19 tests for that day using a dedicated K-12 testing hotline. Raimondo said that phone number will be shared on a later date.
The governor said that a sick individual will have an appointment at one of the dozen or more swabbing sites just for schools. She said there will be 12-14 swabbing sites dedicated solely to schools across the state, including sites in Providence, Lincoln, Cranston, Warwick, North Kingstown, Newport, among other areas of the state.
Raimondo also said that more sites will be identified leading up to Sept. 14 and will add more throughout the state during the school year if need be.
At the testing site, those getting tested will receive both a PCR and rapid test.
“Speed matters. Speed saves lives,” said Raimondo as to why a rapid test, which is not as accurate as the PCR test, will be administered. “The dual approach gives us the best of both worlds.”
While waiting for the PCR results, Raimondo said this student or staff member must stay home. If a test is negative, the student or staff member can return to school when they are fever free for 24 hours and symptoms are improving. Students will have to receive virtual learning for the time they are at home.
If students start to feel symptoms during the school day, they will be placed in the school’s dedicated isolation room until they are picked up and will have to get tested.
When asked by a reporter if school nurses will have access to COVID-19 tests eventually, R.I. Department of Health Director Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott said “it’s the ideal that we want to strive for.”
On Monday, Raimondo announced that Providence and Central Falls were the only two school districts in Rhode Island that do not have the “green light” from the R.I. Department of Health to reopen for full in-person learning on Sept. 14.
However, not every student, or even district, will decide to go back in-person on the first day of school. Despite the governor’s go-ahead, many final decisions will be left to superintendents and individual school districts. Warwick Public Schools announced in an email sent to parents that the district will continue to stick to distance learning, despite the governor’s in-person announcement.
“I think it’s terrible,” said Raimondo when asked about school districts that are sticking with full virtual learning. “I wouldn’t be surprised if parents sue them.”
Raimondo said she hopes that for those able, all students will be back to in-person schooling by Oct. 13.
Alexa Gagosz is a PBN staff writer. Contact her at Gagosz@PBN.com.
