Greenfield Public Schools will be participating in 3 kinds of COVID-19 testing during the 2021-2022 school year:
- Symptomatic testing: A BinaxNow Rapid Antigen test can be administered if a student exhibits symptoms consistent with COVID-19. Results are available within 15 min of test administration. The student’s parent/guardian will be notified of the result whether negative or positive.
- “Test and Stay” (close contact testing): When a positive case has been in the school, students who were exposed to that case in school and are identified as “close contacts” will be tested using the BinaxNow Rapid Antigen test every day for 7 days from exposure date, and will be allowed to continue to come to school as long as they do not have any signs of illness and continue to receive a negative test result each day. (Close contacts who decline to participate in “Test and Stay” will be required to quarantine at home for at least 7 days from exposure, and students are exposed to a positive case outside of school must quarantine per health department instructions)
- Routine COVID Safety Checks (formerly known as pooled testing): Two shallow nasal swab samples are collected from each student weekly. One swab goes into a group, which is then tested in a lab. If a group tests positive, then the lab performs follow-up testing on the 2nd set of swabs to identify the positive individual.
Consent for COVID-19 testing is for all 3 kinds of testing. It is not possible to consent to 1 and decline others. Paper consent forms are available from your school nurse if you have difficulty with the electronic form.
To register your child to participate in COVID-19 testing go to: https://www.cic-health.com/consent/ma?district=Greenfield
If you have questions, please contact Nurse Leader Kelly Savitri at kelsav1@gpsk12.org