Fresno schools prepare to reopen as omicron surges. Where to get an at-home COVID test
Good morning!
It’s Monday, Jan. 10.
Fresno Unified students are preparing to start classes tomorrow. Before students return to in-person classes, school district officials are recommending students get tested for COVID-19 before coming to class.
School districts across the Central Valley have received at-home COVID-19 rapid tests. Parents who have not yet gotten their test kits should check with their school sites to see if they have the at-home rapid tests available and where to pick them up.
Last week, FUSD announced that it will be hosting a curbside pick-up for families that still need to get their at-home COVID-19 rapid tests from 7 am-3 pm.
FUSD families can pick up their test kits at the following locations:
Bullard High School: North Parking Lot
Gaston Middle School: Main Drop Off Area
Fresno High: Echo Street in front of the Library
Hoover High School: North Parking Lot
McLane High School: Main Drop Off Area
Roosevelt High School: Cedar Ave. Parking Lot
Will omicron cause schools to close again?
The easy transmissibility of the omicron variant has contributed to the rise in COVID-19 cases in Fresno County. On Friday, Fresno County experienced its largest surge of new cases in almost a year, with local and state health officials reporting nearly 2,400 new infections for a two-day period.
While some schools across the nation are transitioning back to online learning, local school districts have said they don’t foresee schools closing again in the near future.
FUSD Superintendent Bob Nelson Previously told The Education Lab that the only reason schools would close again would be if the district didn’t have enough staff to keep schools open or if positive cases were too high.
Clovis Unified officials also said they didn’t foresee closing schools, especially with the precautions put in place.
New quarantine rules for Clovis
Clovis Unified recently updated its quarantine guidelines to align more closely with the Centers for Disease Control and the California Health Department guidelines.
Under the new guidelines, students who test positive for COVID-19 can now return to school after isolating for five days rather than 10 days. Students must also provide a negative test after the five-day isolation period.
Vaccination for students
In addition to testing, Fresno Health officials recommend children get vaccinated to help stop the spread of the virus.
County health officials are setting up free vaccination clinics at schools.
Currently, children 5 years of age and older are eligible to get vaccinated. If you’d like to find a vaccine clinic near you, check out the health department’s website.
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The Ed Lab Newsroom Facebook group is a virtual lab where reporters meet and interact with members of the Fresno-area community. The purpose of this group is to create a hands-on space where we engage on education issues impacting children, parents, and teachers, and where we can learn more about educational needs in the San Joaquin Valley.
We are excited to host live discussions and informative workshops to help inform and discuss education issues in the valley. Join our group! Have any good news, grants, competitions, or call-outs? Let us know! We would love to highlight your work and exciting projects. You can submit projects, educational contests, or resources at edlab@fresnobee.com.
This story was originally published January 10, 2022 at 8:55 AM.