Most students in New Westminster schools should have their COVID rapid tests in hand before spring break.
The provincial government is providing a package of five rapid antigen tests for each student in B.C.'s kindergarten-to-Grade 12 system. The tests are to be used by students when they experience possible symptoms of COVID-19.
As of this week, kits are beginning to make their way to students' homes in SD40 schools.
Middle and secondary school students will receive their kits at school and will be asked to take them directly home to their parent or guardian for safe storage.
For elementary school students, kits will be distributed directly to parents, guardians or other adult caregivers; each school will provide parents and caregivers with instructions on when and how to pick up their kits.
"All schools are working as hard as they can to try and distribute the kits this week," the school district said in an email in response to the Record's inquiries about rapid tests for students.
Not all the tests, however, have yet arrived. The district said it's working with the Ministry of Education to determine an ETA for those schools missing some or all of the expected shipment of RATs. At this point, that delay in shipment now affects two schools: Glenbrook Middle and Skwo:wech Elementary.
Parents and caregivers are asked to watch for emails from their school principal to confirm how and when their children's kits will arrive.
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