Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Date: 1/11/2022
SOUTHAMPTON – During a Jan. 4 meeting, the Southampton Select Board approved up to $15,000 from ARPA funds for as many rapid COVID-19 testing kits as possible for the town at that price.
“Families are really struggling to find access to PCR tests and rapid tests right now because there are no appointments,” said Kait Swistak-Rooks, the chair of the Board of Health, adding that rapid tests would be useful at this time because of the lack of appointments.
According to Swistak-Rooks, most tests usually fall between price points of $5 and $26, but there are additional shipping fees that come with the acquisition of these tests. The Select Board allocated $15,000 for the tests themselves, and up to $2,000 to pay for any shipping costs. The tests that the Selectboard agreed to allocate money for cost $9.50 per test, and $19 per pack since there are two in a pack.
Because these rapid tests usually come in packs of two, it is recommended that people take both tests spaced out over 24 hours as confirmation for whatever the result may be – otherwise known as serial testing. Additionally, rapid testing is the most useful way of testing if people are symptomatic, according to Swistak-Rooks.
“It’s also a good tool for people who have been identified as a contact to test after five days and make sure they are a lower risk of spreading COVID, especially when there’s lack of access to other tests,” said Swistak-Rooks, regarding rapid tests. The one issue with rapid testing is it may lead to an underreporting of cases, which may make contact tracing more difficult to accomplish-mainly because people are using these tests at home.
“It’s a somewhat useful tool … it’s also not the cheapest tool,” said Swistak-Rooks. “Some people are paying insurance premiums at this point to do testing if they want to gather with family.”
The move to allocate money comes with the notion that testing will be available over the coming weeks, but it is uncertain how much testing will be available, and how widely available it will be. As far as schools go, Swistak-Rooks said that Stephanie Faas, the nurse leader and health director for Hampshire Regional School District, is considering requiring a negative test in the district after students quarantine for five days, but the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education currently does not recommend testing when leaving quarantine. Faas told Swistak-Rooks that available rapid testing would be helpful to parents and families who are a part of the school district. The district is allowing parents to use a rapid testing as a diagnostic tool.
“I think that to go out of the home and be exposed to, even to get tested…I think concerns a lot of people,” said Select Board member Maureen Groden. “I think there’s a lot of interest in having the test available.”
As of press time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is not requiring people to provide a negative test to end five days of quarantine, but Swistak-Rooks aid if that changes, then the entire process for testing could look completely different. For example, the supply chain for rapid tests may be overwhelmed if the CDC does require a negative test to exit quarantine.
“I think for the next four to six weeks we’re going to be playing catch-up,” said Select Board member Francine Tishman, adding that people in town have been constantly asking her where tests can be found since most stores are sold out of them at this point. “I think if we can help those people in those situations, then [acquiring tests] would be a good idea.”
Rapid tests just became available to municipalities through state contracts, and 2.1 million tests were handed out to Massachusetts communities. Southampton was not one of those communities who received tests through these contracts.
As of press time, the Select Board was still working out the plan for where tests would be allocated too – whether it be schools, the library or the senior center. Because there will be such a high demand for tests, Swistak-Rooks believes that it could be several weeks after purchasing before Southampton receives them.
The Southampton Board of Health met on Jan. 10 to continue the discussion on this matter. Reminder Publishing will have more on that meeting in the next edition.