Every elementary and secondary school in the Delta School District now has sample collection kits to make it easier for parents to test their children for COVID-19.
Partnering with Fraser Health, Delta received a collection of rinse and gargle collection kits last week, free kits that have already recently been introduced in other school districts.
The district notes the sample kits will be available for any student that starts to exhibit symptoms while at school.
The kits come with detailed instructions for parents on how to collect the sample and where they should drop it off for testing.
The samples are to be taken at home and dropped off at a Life Labs location within 24 hours, not at the school, the district explains.
The acceptance of a kit is solely the parent’s or guardian’s decision.
“We recognize that not all parents will be able to drop off a kit at Life Labs in a timely manner or they may prefer to take their child to a testing location,” the district notes in a news release this week.
Each school has been given 12 kits that can be used by students experiencing the following symptoms:
* Fever
* Chills
* Cough or worsening of chronic cough
* Difficulty breathing
* Loss of sense of smell or taste
The child should have at least one of the symptoms above, preferably two or more.
Other symptoms that may prompt testing include diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.
The district notes parents are encouraged to continue to monitor their kids for COVID-19-like symptoms before sending them to school each day using the Daily Health Check.
