The Lafayette, California school district will begin to provide free Covid-19 testing kits at the front office of each school on November 14, 2022.
In an announcement, the district said:
At-Home COVID-19 Tests Available For Pickup
Testing remains a key mitigation layer to detect and curb transmission of COVID-19. Due to the increased travel and social interaction that occurs during school breaks, the California Department of Public Health recommends that students and staff get tested for COVID-19 prior to returning to school following these breaks. The Lafayette School District wishes to keep our students and staff safe and healthy by continuing to provide access to no-cost, over-the-counter (OTC)/at-home COVID-19 rapid antigen tests.
Beginning on Monday, November 14, free test kits will be available for pickup at all schools’ front offices, as well as at the District Office, so that students and school staff may choose to test prior to return from Thanksgiving/fall break. Students and staff that test positive should stay home and inform their school/supervisor. Testing is not mandatory, but is recommended.
As the message says, the tests are intended for use after students return from the Thanksgiving break. The break is a common time for students to travel, and the district is concerned that they might bring back an infection.
For that reason, the tests are being provided free of charge, to give families who wish to test for Covid-19 the option to do so.