FLAGER COUNTY, Fla. — As Flagler County heads back to school, students and staff now have a new option to help keep them in class despite the pandemic. Flagler County Schools and the Department of Health have teamed up to offer a new option aimed at keeping kids out of quarantine and in the classroom.
“That option involves surveillance testing through the Abbott Rapid Test for Covid," said Bob Snyder, Health Officer at the Department of Health Flagler.
What You Need To Know
- Flagler County schools will offer COVID-19 testing in an effort to keep kids in the classroom
- Students, faculty and staff in close contact with a confirmed positive COVID-19 case will receive rapid nasal testing every other day for up to 10 days, but will not have to quarantine at home
- Leaders with the school district believe this will be a relief for working parents and will prevent kids from missing out on valuable learning time
Through a grant from the CDC, the D.O.H. purchased 7,500 rapid COVID tests. While it is a nasal test, Snyder says it is not as invasive as the ones many are used to.
“It goes up three-fourths of an inch and basically 15 seconds each nostril," Snyder said.
The tests be will available for students and staff considered to be a close contact of a confirmed COVID case. Initially, the DOH planned to allow those identified to test every other day -- and as long as each test came back negative, they could avoid quarantine and stay in school. However, due to an Emergency Rule issued by the state, all close contacts have to quarantine for at least four days. However with this test to return program, students and staff can test on the fourth day and return on the fifth if their test is negative.
"With the Delta variant out there and COVID surging in our community and with the goal of getting back to normal — especially encouraging and promoting in-person instruction — we just thought that the timing was perfect to introduce this concept,” Snyder said.
Those that quarantined will be required to test one more time on the sixth day, but then can avoid the extra days of quarantine.
“Last year when we identified a confirmed COVID case, it did result in entire classrooms being quarantined," Snyder said. "It numbered in the hundreds of people who had to go home and quarantine and isolate for a period of time, so that is what we are trying to avoid."
Snyder claimed it will also help them catch positive cases early. Leaders with the school district believe it will be a relief for working parents, and will prevent kids from missing out on valuable learning time.
“This will avoid having them to have to do work at home without that individualized instruction. This will keep them in the classroom and keep them engaged,” said David Bossardet, District Safety Specialist for Flagler County Schools
Kathy Barnett, who has a son starting seventh grade, shared that she is hesitant about how this will work logistically, but said it's an option she would consider taking for her son as it provides peace of mind.
“I think that if the district can offer parents and families as many options as they can to feel comfortable to go back to school, I think it is a great idea,” Barnett said.
According to the D.O.H., Flagler County’s COVID-19 positivity rate is 26%, which is the highest it's seen since the start of the pandemic.