As the Garden Grove Unified School District (GGUSD) prepares to open its classrooms for in-person instruction, it’s introducing a new virus testing strategy.
District trustees unanimously approved CCP virus testing for students and staff during a Feb. 2 board meeting.
The district plans to test those who are asymptomatic to catch those who unknowingly have the virus, and will require those who test positive to undergo a period of mandatory quarantine.
Testing will be on a voluntary basis for the asymptomatic testing of students, who need parent permission to participate.
The test is self-administered; samples provided by staff and students will be sent to the Valencia Regional Laboratory, which will process the results and relay them to the district.
The GGUSD will provide the facilities and staff to service the testing, while the state will supply the testing kits.
Parents, students, and staff, will use a software application to check the results of their tests, which are available within 24 hours of submitting a sample.
The state will provide GGUSD with reduced-price CCP virus testing as part of its Safe Schools for All Program, a plan to minimize virus transmission in classrooms.
The GGUSD serves most of Garden Grove and portions of Anaheim, Fountain Valley, Santa Ana, Stanton, and Westminster.
The district returned to distance learning Jan. 4 as virus cases surged throughout Orange County. It could begin reopening its classrooms as early as Feb. 16, depending on case count data.
