15,000 at-home Covid tests distributed to West Contra Costa Unified students

As schools open up after winter break, the West Contra Costa Unified School District distributed 15,000 Covid-19 test kits to their students on Sunday.

West Contra Costa Unified School District, Covid-“`19, Pinole Valley High School, Kennedy High School, Kenneth Chris Hurst, Marissa Glidden, United Teachers of Richmond, Covid-19 testing, at-home Covid-19 testing, fast5, 

District staff handed out tests to more than 5,000 cars at Pinole Valley High School and Kennedy High School before the district’s first day of school on Monday. The hope is to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in schools following a rise in omicron variant cases during the holiday season.

Superintendent Kenneth Chris Hurst said in a statement:

With a spike in cases in the country surrounding the omicron variant and the scarcity of in-home tests in stores, the rapid spread of the virus required an aggressive response to ensure safety in our school communities.”

After receiving 28,000 kits from the Contra Costa County Office of Education, Hurst and his team worked with the United Teachers of Richmond and district staff to distribute kits.

United Teachers of Richmond Union President Marissa Glidden said in a statement:

We appreciate the UTR members who volunteered to make this possible. … Testing is a crucial part of keeping our schools safe.”

Starting Tuesday, the district also plans to open three additional testing sites for student and staff. Leftover test kits from Sunday’s event will be distributed throughout school sites. Families can continue to be tested weekly at school sites.

Bay City News

Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area. © 2022 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.