Dear Parents/Guardians and Staff:

The Ministry of Education has mandated that school boards make voluntary asymptomatic (without obvious symptoms) COVID-19 testing of students and staff available. Testing is voluntary and consent will be required. Planning is underway to implement this testing across Bluewater District School Board schools.

Communication regarding the date, including a link for registration, will be provided to staff and families prior to each clinic. Household members of students and staff, and anyone with symptoms, should seek testing at an assessment centre.

Asymptomatic testing clinics will occur in Bluewater District School Board using a “hub model” with a host school and a family of schools invited on the same date. The testing will be completed by GVT Labs, who will run the clinics. There are nine planned clinics, each on a Thursday evening, between March 11 and June 3, 2021. Each participating school will be booked in a set time frame (between the hours of 4:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.).

Local public health units will continue to be responsible for investigation, contact tracing, and case management support in confirmed cases.

Sincerely,

Lori Wilder
Director of Education