Montgomery County Public Schools says certain students will be subject to random screening tests for coronavirus this fall.
The school system told parents in a recent letter that it will test students from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade in conjunction with the state health department, at no cost to the student or family, WTTG-TV (Channel 5) reported.
MCPS said parental consent is required for identified students to participate in the weekly testing.
“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends random asymptomatic COVID-19 testing because it detects and can limit the spread of the virus, even in the absence of visible symptoms,” the letter read, WTTG reported. “Currently, students 11 years and under are unable to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. This is a significant reason for focusing our COVID screening test for this student population.”
Tests are expected to start the week of Sept. 13, WTTG reported.
