NOLA-PS Begins Distributing Thousands of COVID-19 Tests to Schools

(New Orleans – February 15, 2022) — NOLA Public Schools (NOLA-PS) has begun to provide thousands of COVID-19 rapid antigen tests to our schools, as part of the federal government's response to the pandemic.

The Biden administration has provided all schools access to rapid antigen tests in support of in person learning. NOLA-PS welcomed the offer and requested the maximum number of tests a school district could receive. The District has received more than 40,000 tests so far, with plans to receive more shipments in coming weeks to continue to provide this service to schools. They are another example of how NOLA-PS continues to lead among school districts when it comes to keeping students and staff safe and healthy during the ongoing pandemic.

These rapid tests are being provided by the federal government through a public health waiver that allows schools to use them to test students. The tests will be above and beyond the routine COVID-19 testing schools continue to provide for their students.

Our protocols for the use of these tests have been approved by the City of New Orleans' Health Director, Dr. Jennifer Avegno, and our medical advisers. NOLA-PS is also providing training to all school nurses and test coordinators on how to use the tests.

"Our goal is to expand the use of these tests as widely and medically reasonable as possible," said NOLA-PS Superintendent Dr. Henderson Lewis, Jr. "This is another tool we can use to help our schools continue to preserve in-person learning."

Through these rapid tests, schools can open up testing in the following additional ways:

• Return to school testing - testing for any individual who had COVID-19 and completed their isolation period can be tested before they return to school
• Completed quarantine period testing – testing of close contacts to an infected person before they return to school
• Vaccinated individuals testing – testing of vaccinated individuals who are in close contact with an infected person. They're tested the same day they're notified of exposure and 5 days later but remain on campus if tests are negative.
• Supplementary screening – extra tests can be used to test people who may have missed their schools' weekly testing or in the rare case their PCR test was inconclusive.

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About NOLA Public Schools: NOLA Public Schools is the public school district for Orleans Parish. It includes the district's administration and elected school board, known as the Orleans Parish School Board. NOLA Public Schools currently oversees 76 public schools and is led by Superintendent Dr. Henderson Lewis, Jr.

For more information, visit www.nolapublicschools.com. For updates, follow NOLA Public Schools on Facebook @NOLAPublicSchools, Instagram @nolaps and Twitter @NOLAPSchools.