In an email sent to families of high school student athletes Friday afternoon, the school district announced it will pilot a covid-19 testing program next week.
Piedmont High School and Millennium High School athletes who are currently practicing or competing will be able to complete nasal swab testing on Monday and Tuesday after school at the PHS Student Center. Testing will be expanded to all other interested students in grades 6 to 12 the week after spring break.
PUSD is running the program in collaboration with the parent community. The tests will be provided by Inspire Diagnostics. Students are to self-administer a nasal swab under the supervision of an Inspire Diagnostics professional, the district email said. Additionally, the district noted:
- PUSD will be following county regulations to determine frequency of testing. Now that Alameda county is in the orange tier, testing is not required for athletes who play outdoor sports. However, periodic testing remains a requirement for all those playing indoor sports (basketball, volleyball and badminton). Additionally, the Catholic Diocese (eg. Bishop O’Dowd) requires proof of a positive COVID test for all competitions with their schools. We encourage all athletes to get tested regularly.
- Inspire Diagnostics is a subsidiary of Inspire Health Alliance, a managed services provider and consultancy to the healthcare industry. The Inspire Community Health Testing Program offers organizations convenient on-site COVID-19 testing with 24-48 hour results.
- Regular testing of all community members is the most efficient and reliable way to keep our community safe. While work is ongoing to make this a convenient way for our community to get tested, please don’t hesitate to get tested through other providers.
- For more general information about Inspire Diagnostics and the community health testing program, please visit their website here: https://inspirediagnostics.com/solution-overview/
- For questions specific to the district, email piedmonttesting@gmail.com