On Wednesday, January 12, Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) issued a press release that laid out plans to test students and teachers frequently as in-person classes reconvene on Tuesday, January 18. Here are the PGCPS expectations:
Home test kits and KN95 masks will be distributed to all students and staff. One kit containing two tests will be available for each child enrolled in the school system. The distribution will be held at schools and offices. Students will be requested to test weekly in order to return to school the following week. Every Sunday, tests should be taken and results uploaded from Sunday, January 23 through Sunday, February 27. The link for uploading will be provided next week. Home test kits will be distributed biweekly until the end of February to facilitate this request.
More students will be randomly tested in weekly pools. The schools expect to test 20 percent of the students each week.
In addition, new county and state quarantine rules were recently implemented with clear guidance on when students can return to school after contracting or being exposed to Covid-19.
Staff testing was expanded during virtual learning. All employees, regardless of vaccination status, were able to get free Covid testing provided by PGCPS due to the difficulty of obtaining tests in the community. Weekly testing of unvaccinated staff will also continue.
No spectators will be allowed at athletic events through the end of January. Athletes who are not vaccinated will continue to be tested weekly. Starting Tuesday, February 1, attendance at athletic events will be limited to 25 percent of building capacity.
The Temporary K-6 Virtual Learning Program will conclude on Friday, January 28. This program was always designed to be a temporary option in the absence of a vaccine for children ages 5-11. PGCPS does not have permission from the Maryland State Department of Education to go beyond the timeframe established at the beginning of the school year. Each school will facilitate a return-to-school orientation meeting for virtual elementary school students during the week of January 24, and upon their return to school buildings, these students will also receive a home test kit and KN95 mask.