DENVER — All students and staff in Denver Public Schools (DPS) will now be able to get free COVID-19 tests due to an expanded partnership with COVIDCheck Colorado.
The district recommends that all students take a test before returning to school in-person. They also recommend students get tested every other week.
“These sites are available throughout the district with weekday and weekend hours,” Winna MacLaren, spokesperson for DPS said. “We are really encouraging our students to go ahead and get that initial test before they start school and then to also do so on an ongoing basis every other week just to make sure that we are tracking positive cases as they arise, making sure that we notify close contacts to those positive cases and issue quarantines as needed.”
Nasal swab and saliva sample tests will be available, and test results will be returned within 36-72 hours.
DPS partnered with COVIDcheck Colorado earlier in 2020 to provide free testing for school staff so they could feel safe going back to in-person learning.
As of right now, MacLaren said there is no planned expiration date for the free testing.
Residents can view a list of all testing locations on COVIDcheck Colorado's website.
The district's current plan is to return all early-childhood education through fifth-grade students to in-person learning on Jan. 11, the district said on its website.
All secondary special education centers and Newcomer Centers also return to in-person learning on Jan. 11. Other secondary students will continue in remote learning.
Secondary students begin a gradual phase-in to in-person learning Jan. 19-29. All students whose families selected in-person learning will back in schools on Feb. 1.
Throughout the second semester, DPS will continue to offer the 100% remote-learning option for all K-12 students whose families chose that option.
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