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Date: 1/25/2022
GRANBY – The School Committee met to give an update on COVID-19 testing and announce an upcoming vaccination clinic at their most recent meeting on Jan. 18.
To begin, Superintendent Stephen Sullivan spoke on masks. He said that masks are still required in all schools given Commissioner of Education Jeffrey Riley’s guidance extension. The town of Granby also still has a mask requirement from the Board of Health.
Sullivan then explained the new testing option announced by Gov. Charlie Baker and Riley. The state has purchased 26 million COVID-19 home tests and are prioritizing schools as one of the places they are going to mainly distribute them to.
According to Sullivan, Granby Public Schools are now considering opting in for tests and beginning this new program.
“It is an option that we are seriously considering, if not leaning towards,” he said.
With the program, schools will be able to provide home test kits to all students and staff who opt into the new program to receive them. He said that because some parents and guardians are hesitant about having their children tested in schools, he anticipates that having this home program would increase testing.
“People might be more comfortable because it’s being done in your own house, you’re getting the kit, you’re bringing it home ... So we would hope to see an increase in participation,” he said.
If Granby decided to opt into the new testing program, Sullivan said that they would discontinue the Test and Stay program but would maintain pooled testing. Having pooled testing or symptomatic testing is required to participate in the new program.
“Because we have the pool testing, we could consider this new option,” said Sullivan.
Nurse Lead Nancy Jenks also spoke on the program.
“Under this new program, families will be asked to report positive cases and nurses will still be providing education in terms of quarantine timelines and masking, so there’s still a nursing component related to this and then those results would be reported to the state weekly,” she said.
The schools also ran a successful vaccination clinic on Jan. 8. According to Sullivan, 228 COVID-19 shots were given out. They are now planning for another clinic on Feb. 6 and more information will be given soon.
Sullivan urged those who can volunteer for the clinic to do so.
“If we can get people to help out, Nancy would never ask, so I’m going to ask. People, faculty, any of us who are able to help us out, I know she would appreciate it and in some ways, as a community, we owe it to her,” he said.