Schools try Test to Stay program

Seven Fairfax County schools, including Glasgow Middle School and Bailey’s Elementary School, began implementing the Test to Stay pilot program Jan. 31,

Test to Stay (TTS) allows students who are close contacts to people who tested positive for Covid at school to stay in the classroom, rather than quarantine at home – if they take a Covid rapid antigen test and it’s negative. TTS is a program of the Virginia Department of Health and is endorsed by the CDC.

Following a negative test, students would be tested every day for five days (except weekends) after the exposure. Parent consent is required. The test kits are free. Tests can be taken at home before school or at school.

As long as the student is negative, they can stay in school and must wear a mask for 10 days.

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Students not eligible for TTS include those who are fully vaccinated, test positive for Covid, or are symptomatic. Staff are not eligible.

The Virginia Department of Health defines a “close contact” as being within six feet of a person with Covid for a total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period, having direct exposure to respiratory secretions, or taking care of or living with a person who has Covid.

The VDH offers the following exception for indoor and outdoor K-12 settings: A student who was within three to six feet of an infected student is not considered a close contact as long as both students wore well-fitting masks the entire time. That exception applies to school buses when there are documented seating charts, masks are worn, and students remain in assigned seats.