Seattle public schools closed for mass COVID-19 rapid testing
Posted January 3, 2022 10:08 am.
Citing the growing concern over the Omicron variant in Washington state, schools closed on Monday for students and staff to undergo COVID-19 rapid testing.
The state’s largest school district was able to secure more than 60,000 rapid tests from the Washington State Department of Health as part of the plan for a healthy return to school.
The tests were not mandatory, according to the district, but were highly encouraged.
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“Our goal in providing wide-scale testing is to minimize the transmission of the Omicron virus and reduce intermittent disruptions to in-person learning,” the district said in a statement.
While Omicron is surging in the community, the district says the majority of cases are asymptomatic, making it challenging to identify who is sick.
The district says the tests were brought in to ensure any cases can be identified before classes resume.
Monday was expected to be the first day back in class after the Christmas holiday but instead students and teachers will return to in-person learning on Tuesday.
