With Christmas vacation on the horizon and COVID-19 cases rising throughout the province, rapid antigen tests are being sent home with students this week.
The kits, which contain five tests, are being distributed to every child who attends a publicly funded school in Ontario, with the costs covered by the provincial government.
Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board spokesperson Pauline Stevenson told BarrieToday that all of their students will get their tests on Wednesday and Thursday.
“We were given enough for every student in our board, approximately 22,000,” Stevenson said. “I haven't heard directly from families, but I think there is a general appreciation for this one extra level of protection over the holidays.”
The kits are to be distributed to students who participate in in-person learning. The testing kits will not be available to students who have been learning remotely since September 2021.
Participation in the antigen screening is voluntary. Students are not required to take part in order to return to the classroom after the winter break, which goes from Dec. 20, 2021 until Jan. 3, 2022.
On Monday, the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit reported more than 200 COVID cases in the region from over the weekend. There were 12 schools in Barrie listed under outbreak status.
Stevenson was asked if there was any concern that rising COVID numbers, both locally and across the province, could see the two-week break extended to keep infection rates down.
“We can't really speculate about what January may look like. We will continue to take our direction from the health unit and Ministry of Education. We encourage our staff and families to follow the measures put in place by public health, such as limiting gatherings, masking, physical distancing, etc., so that we can keep numbers in check and students are able to return to in-person learning in January,” Stevenson told BarrieToday.
Simcoe County District School Board spokesperson Sarah Kekewich agreed, saying the public board will also plan to be back in the first week of 2022.
“We have not received any information to date from the ministry or our local public health officials regarding the extension of the winter break and at this time we are planning to return to learning on Jan. 3," she said.
The public school board began sending its antigen tests home with students on Monday and everyone of the board's approximately 53,000 students will receive one.
“Instructions on how to use the kits will be sent via email to parents/guardians," said Kekewich, adding the public board has also not received any feedback because they are just beginning the distribution process. “The use of the kits is voluntary and intended as a measure to promote a safer return to the classroom following the winter break.”
An email to parents from the Simcoe County District School Board said while the rapid antigen screening kits are an important tool for managing the spread of COVID-19, vaccination remains the most effective protection against the virus and its variants.
Students who choose to use rapid antigen screening kits should conduct the rapid antigen tests every three to four days over the winter break, on every Monday and Thursday beginning Dec. 23, until all five tests have been used.
Rapid antigen screening kits are only to be used when a child is asymptomatic.
Anyone with symptoms or who is identified as a close contact of a known case, should still get a PCR test. Rapid antigen screening tests should not be used as a substitute for PCR tests for people with symptoms or for people who are close contacts of known cases.
