Screening testing is testing for individuals without symptoms of COVID-19 or exposure to COVID-19. The Oregon Health Authority (OHA), in collaboration with the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) will offer free screening testing for COVID-19 to all Oregon K-12 students during the 2021-2022 academic year. Participating schools will have the option to offer students weekly screening for classroom cohorts (e.g., a second-grade classroom), extracurricular cohorts (e.g., a chess club or football team), or both. Because COVID-19 vaccines are very effective in reducing the risk of infection, the CDC recommends screening only in unvaccinated individuals. Schools may choose to verify vaccination status, but this is not required, and all interested K-12 schools and students are welcome to enroll, regardless of vaccination status.
Participation will be voluntary, and schools and families can opt-out at any time. The program will be administered by regional laboratory partners and details will vary by region.
Participation in the program and all results are confidential, however, positive COVID-19 results must be reported to the local public health authority for case investigation and contact tracing.