The Spokane School District says it will soon offer Covid testing to staff and students who show symptoms and want to be tested.
Health Director Rebecca Doughty says Spokane is one of 10 districts participating in a pilot program originated by the state Department of Health.
“All of our health rooms will have the capacity to do testing for students who come to the health room door sick," Doughty said. "Outside of that, our goal is to have four central testing sites that staff can come and be tested if they are sick as well as students who are home sick and who aren’t at school and being seen in the health room.”
She says same-day tests will be available with results available within 36-to-48 hours.
“Even if you don’t have a provider, you’re not connected with a provider, this is a great way for us to get students back to school sooner with a negative test and it’s also likely going to reduce our quarantine times a little bit," she said.
Superintendent Adam Swinyard says the district has shown a very low rate of Covid infection within schools. Of 140 confirmed cases since early October, he says contact tracing has shown only seven infections occurred inside schools.
The testing program is scheduled to begin around January 4.