Some Saskatchewan students to take rapid COVID tests

Saskatchewan schools are about to give more tests.

The provincial government announced Monday it was shipping 100,000 rapid COVID-19 tests to K-12 schools in Saskatchewan. The testing could begin as early as this week.

The NDP demanded the move Thursday, saying urgent action was needed. In mid-February, Premier Scott Moe admitted the tests should have been sent out earlier.

“A rapid testing program in schools is another excellent tool to help monitor the presence of COVID-19,” Education Minister Dustin Duncan said in Monday’s media release. “The safety of students, teachers, and school staff is our government’s priority, and school staff and students have done an excellent job in helping to prevent transmission of the virus.”

Schools in Regina have seen an uptick in COVID cases in recent days. On Sunday, 15 schools reported 18 cases and, on Monday, Regina Public Schools announced Marion McVeety School would be closing Tuesday due to COVID.

All of the schools in Regina’s two largest school divisions are slated to move to online learning in the coming days.

Asked Thursday about the deployment of rapid tests to schools, Health Minister Paul Merriman said someone other than school staff had to administer the tests. That was reiterated in Monday’s announcement.

“The rapid antigen tests use a short nasal swab and can be administered by laypeople who have completed a training program through the Saskatchewan Health Authority lab,” the release said.

“Schools will work with their local medical health officers to determine when testing is appropriate and will work with parents and caregivers to ensure consent is in place.”

A positive test would need to be confirmed by a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test done by the Saskatchewan Health Authority. A negative result would not require confirmation, provided the subject doesn’t have COVID symptoms.