Colorado plans to dramatically expand COVID-19 testing in schools next year, even as restrictions go

Colorado plans to dramatically expand COVID-19 testing in schools next year, even as restrictions go away


Colorado plans to launch a massive, new coronavirus testing program available to schools statewide starting this fall, a measure health officials and educators say is crucial to minimize disruption to the education of kids too young to be vaccinated, particularly as a new Delta variant spreads across the state.

Officials at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment think the state may need multiple vendors to make a testing program available to Colorado’s nearly 900,000 public school students, as well as teachers and school staff. Colorado is currently soliciting bids to operate the program and has $173 million in federal money to spend.

Under the plan, students, faculty and staff in participating districts would be able to sign up for free weekly rapid tests. The expanded testing effort is the latest sign that the pandemic will affect students and teachers for a third academic year even as COVID-19 restrictions are dropped.

“Our goal is to ensure testing is readily available to all students and educators to help ensure students can safely return to school in-person with minimal disruption,” Jessica Bralish, a spokeswoman for CDPHE, wrote to The Colorado Sun. “Testing will be a critical component of our COVID-19 response in the fall, particularly with the spread of the Delta variant.”

Read more: https://coloradosun.com/2021/07/06/colorado-covid-19-testing-schools-education/