Henrico Schools to implement test-to-stay COVID-19 program

Henrico County Public Schools soon will participate in the state health department’s test-to-stay program, which allows unvaccinated students exposed to COVID-19 to continue attending school during their quarantine period.

The program requires close contacts to take an at-home COVID-19 test every morning for five days after exposure to the virus. If the test is negative and the person is asymptomatic, the student is allowed to stay in school.

As of Wednesday afternoon, HCPS is one of 36 school divisions that will participate in the program, according to a Virginia Department of Health spokesman.

The program will begin in Henrico as soon as the school division receives the at-home antigen test kits from the VDH, which is expected to happen soon.

The strategy is being funded by the ELC Reopening Schools Grant. As resources allow, VDH expects to scale up this program quickly to ensure that as many schools as possible have access to the test-to-stay program during the Omicron surge.

The number of COVID-19 cases among HCPS students and staff surged at the start of the calendar year. In general, case counts are becoming unreliable barometers of the pandemic, because the data only reflects what is reported by health authorities and doesn’t include positive at-home tests or people who are infected without knowing it.

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HCPS is hosting in-school vaccination clinics at 16 elementary schools, which should increase vaccination rates across the division, meaning fewer Test to Stay kits may be needed in the future. Anyone who is fully vaccinated (including booster shots for eligible adults) is not required to quarantine and would not need to be tested each morning in order to remain in school.

Staff members are not currently eligible to participate in TTS. For a student to participate, he or she must have been exposed to COVID-19 during school or a school-sponsored activity, not fully vaccinated, remain asymptomatic, receive written consent from guardian, and be willing and able to consistently and correctly wear a mask while at school during the entire quarantine period (exceptions for eating and drinking).

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Anna Bryson is the Henrico Citizen's education reporter and a Report for America corps member. Make a tax-deductible donation to support her work, and RFA will match it dollar for dollar.