LAUSD urges students to get tested for COVID before returning to classes Monday
The district supplied students with rapid antigen tests before winter break began and are available at all school campuses.
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The Los Angeles Unified School District is encouraging parents to get students tested for COVID-19 before they return to classes Monday.
According to a letter sent to parents, students are encouraged to take a rapid antigen test before school starts Monday along with another test on Jan. 15 and Jan. 16, which coincides with the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
The district supplied students with rapid antigen tests before winter break began and are available at all school campuses.
"We will also continue to provide reminders on staying healthy during this winter season," read the letter. "This includes handwashing, getting vaccinated for COVID-19 and the Flu and recommending masking during times of high transmission of respiratory viruses."
This comes as L.A. County health officials recommend students and staff wear a mask for the first 10 days after returning to campus to prevent a spike in cases.
"Ten days of mask wearing as many return to work, in school, can slow transmission, minimize disruptions to work and learning," said L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer last week. "Protect those most vulnerable and help make sure hospitals do not become overwhelmed."
READ MORE | LA County health officials urge 10 days of mask wearing following New Year's Eve
Ten days is the incubation period of the virus. The ask to wear masks at schools and workplaces following the winter break is not a mandate, but a recommendation.
However, Ferrer hopes people will comply given the high transmission levels of both COVID-19 and the flu.
