300 School Districts Including Some In The Lake Area Get COVID 19 Test Kits
Over 300 school districts around Missouri are getting a new COVID-19 test kits.
Mallory McGowin with DESE tells KRMS News about how the test kit works.
McGowin also says the tests are intended for students who are feeling sick at school and the tests can only be given with the permission of a parent or guardian.
Lake area schools who are receiving the tests include the following.
In Camden County, Camdenton R3, Macks Creek R5 and Stoutland R-2.
In Morgan County, Both Morgan R1 and R2 schools.
In Miller County, Eldon R1, Iberia R5, Miller R3 and St. Elizabeth R4.
In Benton County only Lincoln R2.
Also, in Laclede County, Laclede R1 and Lebanon R3
And in Pulaski County, Crocker R2, Laquey R5, Richland R4 and Swedeborg R3.
Here’s a full list of schools statewide:
Antigen-Testing-Participants-10-26-20Missouri Sends Initial Shipment of Antigen Tests to Schools Statewide
State officials began shipping thousands of antigen test kits to public and private schools across the state today. Nearly 330 districts/schools applied to participate in Missouri’s BinaxNOW Antigen Testing Program for K-12 Institutions, requesting a total of nearly 583,000 test kits for use among symptomatic students and school personnel. These minimally invasive nasal swab tests must be administered by a health professional (e.g. a school nurse), and yield results in just 15 minutes. Many districts/schools will perform these rapid tests onsite, after receiving the appropriate consent from the staff member or the student’s parent/guardian. Some districts/schools have partnered with their local health department or another medical provider in their community to assist in administering these tests. Positive and negative test results will be reported electronically to the Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) within 24 hours.
“The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) continues to work hard to make any and all resources available to school leaders during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Commissioner of Education Margie Vandeven. “We believe these rapid antigen tests, in conjunction with other mitigation strategies, could be instrumental in helping schools provide onsite learning opportunities safely. We appreciate colleagues at DHSS and the State Emergency Management Agency for working quickly with our team on this important initiative.”
Districts/schools that applied will receive the number of test kits requested (up to one test per student and staff member, due to limited inventory) in incremental shipments over the coming months. In the state’s current inventory, there are approximately 240,000 test kits available to distribute to K-12 schools that have provided the required assurances and documentation.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services prioritized public and private K-12 schools to receive the Abbott BinaxNOW rapid antigen test kits free of charge, along with higher education institutions and long-term care facilities. Missouri is expected to receive a total of 1.84 million Abbott BinaxNOW antigen test kits.
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