COVID-19 rapid tests to be distributed to Massachusetts child care centers, Gov. Baker announces
Originally Appeared in WCVB
January 19, 2022
New programs to begin during week of Jan. 31
Massachusetts child care centers will soon begin to receive allotments of COVID-19 rapid tests, Gov. Charlie Baker announced Wednesday.
“We expect that the rapid test will be a game-changer,” Baker said.
The governor said tests will be used in two ways:
To allow those who are close contacts of a COVID-19-positive individual to test daily for five consecutive days and stay in child care as long as the test is negative.
To test those who develop symptoms while attending or providing care.
Both programs are available for children ages 2 and older, the Baker administration said. The rapid antigen tests are expected to become available to child care centers during the week of Jan. 31.
"We expect the rapid test program will be a game-changer for many folks in early education and care, as the vast majority of kids they serve are under the age of 5 and therefore can't be vaccinated at this point in time," Baker said.
These are in addition to the preexisting weekly pooled PCR testing option, which is available for facilities and families that opt-in.
More than 7,700 child care providers are currently eligible for these programs, officials said. The programs are administered by Neighborhood Villages, a nonprofit organization.
"Rapid tests for these two programs will be free and the distribution will be supported by Neighborhood Villages. Programs must be enrolled with Neighborhood Villages to receive free tests," Baker said.
"It is more important now than ever that we help keep children in care, learning, playing, napping, working with their friends," said Early Education and Care Commissioner Samantha Aigner-Treworgy.
For older children, state officials said Tuesday that Massachusetts teachers and students will be offered free at-home testing kits every week. Individual districts are being urged to sign-up for the program.
The state is now recommending this new initiative over Test and Stay, which allows students to remain in school if they are exposed and test negative.
Rapid tests for schools and child care centers will come from an order of 26 million tests the Baker administration announced last week.