With schools reopening more and more each day, Middlesex County announced on Wednesday it has partnered with East Brunswick Township and its board of education to establish a COVID-19 testing model within the school system to prevent the spread of the virus.
“We’re taking drastic and aggressive measures to protect the county’s student, faculty and staff population during the school year,” Freeholder Director Ronald Rios said.
The pilot program will invite students, faculty and staff to voluntarily get free COVID-19 saliva test by on-site school nurses. Parental consent is required for students and staff can participate on their own.
“In this unprecedented time in history, we’re making bold moves. Partnering with the Township of East Brunswick on this pilot testing program shows our commitment to do whatever it takes to ensure the safety of our students and staff as they continue their education during a pandemic,” he said.
The program is expected to dramatically reduce the spread of the coronavirus in the school system.
“Offering widespread testing will greatly reduce potential COVID-19 cases and give us the data necessary to stop the virus in its tracks,” Dr. Victor Valeski, superintendent, East Brunswick Public School System, said. “This model for testing a vast population at once and using statistical analysis to predict outbreaks will put us ahead of the COVID-19 curve. If this pilot proves successful, we anticipate many more townships across Middlesex County to implement a similar testing model at their schools to proactively fight this virus with the goal of bringing students back to a regular educational routine.”
