Dear School Superintendent,
With funding provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) will be supporting screening testing for COVID-19 in kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) school settings. The purpose is to provide an additional layer of prevention to protect teachers, employees, and students and to slow the spread of COVID-19 in these settings and keep schools open to in-person school and activities through frequent serial testing.
MSDH will implement the school-based screening in coordination with interested Mississippi school districts on an individual basis in a phased approach through two phases.
Phase 1 is intended to rapidly initiate school-based screening for the remainder of the school year and for summer activities through the direct provision of COVID-19 rapid tests kits to each school district. Phase 1 will require school districts to apply for a CLIA Certificate of Waiver (MSDH will facilitate the application process and cover associated application fees), perform the tests and report both aggregate and individual test results to MSDH through processes that are currently under development. A primary objective is to provide testing support to school districts but limit the burden on the districts. MSDH will provide funding to school districts to support this process.
Phase 2 is intended to set up a sustainable school-based screening program for all interested school districts by the start of the 2021-2022 school year. This will be accomplished through vendor contracts managed by MSDH to support on-site school-based testing (processes in development) to relieve much of the potential burden on school districts. These will be funded by MSDH.
For each Phase, MSDH will provide guidance for the targeted populations and frequency of screening, actions around identified cases and contacts, and other components of the process.
For an overview of the phases and support MSDH can provide, please join us Wednesday April 28, 2021 at 9:00 for an informational webinar at the following link: MSDH School-Based COVID-19 Testing/Screening Informational Webinar