RI Creates Separate Testing System For Schools

PROVIDENCE, RI — As Rhode Island gets ready to reopen schools Sept. 14, state leaders are working to get districts ready to have a safe return for teachers and students.

During Tuesday's news conference, Raimondo announced a new testing structure, specifically for schools, that will have the capacity to test thousands of people every day.

"From day one, Rhode Island has led the nation in testing," Raimondo said, adding that the Rhode Island Department of Health has had six months of experience handling the pandemic. "testing is a key piece of the puzzle."

The new testing structure is separate from the existing public structure, and can accommodate 4,000 traditional, or PCR tests, and 1,200 rapid tests each day, with results within 48 hours.

Tuesday marks the six-month anniversary of the first coronavirus case in Rhode Island. Since then, more than 530,000 tests have been conducted, more than half the state's population.

A system has been developed to get students, teachers and faculty away from others and tested as soon as possible. The procedures are explained below.

Testing Procedure

Any teacher, staff member or student who wakes up sick cannot go into school, no matter what. To schedule a same-day test, the Rhode Island Department of Health is launching a special testing hotline, to be announced closer to the first day of school. The person's primary care provider should also be notified.

Tests will be scheduled at special, dedicated sites throughout the site. So far, 12 have been identified, with the possibility for several more if needed. Two tests will be conducted: a traditional test and a rapid one. Raimondo called this approach "the gold standard of testing," because it combines the speed of the fast test with the accuracy of the traditional one.

"Time is our enemy with the coronavirus. Speed matters," Raimondo said.

The person must then stay home until their traditional test results come back. If the test is negative, the person can return to the classroom once they are feeling better and have been fever-free for 24 hours.

If the test is positive, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, staying in isolation until 10 days after the initial test is conducted, even if there are no symptoms.

"We're trying to make this as safe and convenient as possible," Raimondo said.

Anyone who develops symptoms during the day must go to the school's designated isolation area until they can go home.

"You absolutely cannot tough it out until the end of the day," Raimondo said.

Once the person leaves school, they can call the school testing hotline to schedule a same-day test, same as above. As part of the reopening plans, each school was required to designate a room for isolation.

Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott, the director of the Department of Health, said there two categories of symptoms that, if met, would constitute a "probable case." The categories are explained below. The first category only needs one symptom to be called a probable case, while the second requires at least two.

One symptom

• persistent cough
• shortness of breath
• difficulty breathing
• recent loss of taste or smell

Two symptoms

• fever
• chills
• muscle aches
• headache
• nausea
• vomiting
• fatigue
• runny nose
• sore throat

Alexander-Scott also encouraged all parents to get their child a flu shot, to help reduce overall respiratory illness in the cooler months and to help rule out symptoms when someone becomes ill.

"RIDOH will be by your side to make sure every case is handled the way it needs to be," Alexander-Scott said.

During Wednesday's brief news conference, Raimondo and Alexander-Scott will discuss procedures for contact tracing, classroom pods and more when positive cases are identified.