By Post Staff

The West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCSD) staff and volunteers distributed approximately 15,000 COVID-19 test kits to families on Sunday, Jan. 2, enabling more students to get tested before returning to school.

More than 5,000 cars at the two drive-through locations lined up to receive a testing kit.

“With a spike in cases in the country surrounding the omicron variant and the scarcity of in-home tests in stores, the rapid spread of the virus required an aggressive response to ensure safety in our school communities,” said Supt. Kenneth Chris Hurst, Ed.D.

WCCUSD is making strides to slow the spread of COVID-19 in the community and keep students safe. District staff and volunteers hosted two drive-in distribution sites on Sunday at Pinole Valley High School and Kennedy High School for families to receive a free in-home testing kit for students before returning to school on Monday, Jan. 3.

The District received 28,000 kits late the afternoon of Dec. 30, 2022, during the winter break and right before New Year’s Eve from the Contra Costa County Office of Education through the California Department of Public Health (CDPH).

The superintendent and executive staff teamed with the United Teachers of Richmond (UTR) and District support staff to quickly plan a way to distribute the kits to families.

“We appreciate the UTR members who volunteered to make this possible,” United Teachers of Richmond Union President Marissa Glidden said. “Testing is a crucial part of keeping our schools safe.”

The drive-through clinic is one of several steps the District is taking to keep students and staff safe.

“We received super-positive feedback from families, and many were grateful for getting access to tests and willing to wait in line in order to make it happen,” Pinole Valley High School Principal Kibby Kleiman said. “I was thrilled to be able to do even a small part to ensure that we have accurate and significant test numbers and (to) keep our schools safe and open during a global pandemic.”

WCCUSD is taking extra precautions to slow the spread of the virus by increasing testing capacity both in the number of kits distributed, and starting Tuesday, Jan. 4, the district opened three additional testing sites available to all students and staff districtwide.

Additional test kits from the drive-through event will be distributed to school sites as a one-time resource. Regular weekly testing and athletic testing are still available at school sites. Families do not have to make an appointment to receive regular or athletic weekly tests.

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