GREENSBORO, N.C. — Student-athletes and those in high-risk after-school activities will soon be required to get tested for COVID-19 regularly to participate.
Guilford County Schools will only require COVID-19 tests for unvaccinated students.
At Winston-Salem/Forsyth County, it's for everyone that takes part in high-risk afterschool activities, vaccinated or not.
Parents must give consent. Winston-Salem/Forsyth will request written approval from parents in September.
A parent has the right to deny consent, but that will result in the child no longer being eligible to participate.
High-risk activities include band, chorus, dance, and ROTC.
COVID-19 testing also applies to coaches and staff running the sports and extra-curricular programs.
People are randomly selected in groups of 10 to 25. The same people aren't tested every week.
A state-contracted vendor will administer the test at schools.
This is a state testing pilot program. They offer full-service K-12 testing programs to over 1,000 schools across the country.
For GCS and W/S Forsyth, only those in middle and high school will get screened.
The nasal swabs are less intrusive than other COVID-19 tests, taking place at the front of the nostril.
At least a ten-day Isolation is required for those who test positive. Those exposed will also be isolated.
Guilford County Schools said they have not set a date for when testing will begin.
In Winston-Salem, testing is expected to begin in September.