AURORA, Colo. — Five testing sites are opening along Colorado's Front Range this week to provide educators access to free, semi-monthly COVID-19 testing.
COVIDCheck Colorado provides access to accurate and affordable COVID-19 testing, symptom tracking and contact tracing tools to help Coloradans safely return to school, work and daily life, a release from the community investment company says.
The goal is to help school communities make informed decisions on how to reopen safely and stop potential outbreaks before they start.
Employees from Aurora Public Schools, Cherry Creek School District, Denver Public Schools, Englewood Schools, Mapleton Public Schools, Sheridan School District 2, Westminster Public Schools and 27J Schools will all gain access to free COVID-19 testing this week, the release says.
Employees from those districts can schedule a COVID-19 diagnostic test every two weeks at a location most convenient for them, regardless of district affiliation.
Educators who test positive for COVID-19 will receive a phone call from a telehealth provider who will offer support and guidance on self-isolation, the release says.
Leaders from COVIDCheck Colorado and several participating school districts spoke from a test site located at Hinkley High School in Aurora on Tuesday.
Aurora Public Schools Superintendent Rico Munn said high volume of testing with rapid results will help guide the district's reopening plans.
"We've had about 500 people go through this already in just a day so we know that our staff and other folks from other school distrcits are taking advantage of this opportunity to make sure we ca get rapid results and know where we are as a school community." Munn said.
Other sites open to participating district employees in the Denver metro area include Cherry Creek High School in Greenwood Village, North High School in Denver and Riverdale Ridge High School in Thornton.
Starting on Wednesday, educators will also have access to testing at All City Stadium near South High School in Denver.
As required by law, all positive cases will be reported to local public health agencies and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE).
COVIDCheck Colorado is a social benefit enterprise of Gary Community Investments Company, which is part of the Gary Community Investments umbrella organization, according to a news release from the company. It represents a philanthropic health consortium whose mission is to help Coloradans navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and get back to their community safely.
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Education stories from 9NEWS