After much debate and a few delays, school is back in session in NYC.
To kickstart the new term, the NYC DOE will roll out school-based virus testing the second week of October. NYC schools, along with NYC Health + Hospitals, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) and the NYC Test & Trace Corps, will test a randomly selected group of staff and students from grades 1-12 on a monthly basis. The number of people being tested will depend on the size of the school.
In order to make this happen, parents need to agree to having their children tested. Consent forms are available online and the DOE urges parents to submit their paperwork as part of the "ongoing fight against this virus and to ensure we can keep school communities in school buildings for in-person learning." According to the DOE, "Students who do not have consent forms on file may be required to learn remotely if we do not receive forms from enough students in the school."
The test is said to take two minutes and requires a small, Q-Tip-sized swab to be inserted up the nose. Results will be available anywhere between 48-72 hours. You can learn all about the testing on the DOE website.
Stay up-to-date on the latest school news: You can find the 2020-2021 calendar on our website and sign up for fun after-school activities (virtually or in person).
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