Nadine Fraser and her daughter Chloe Fraser, 9, are happy that she tested negative for Covid, Dec. 6 during Grand Island Central's pilot test-to-stay program. Erie County approved the program for all schools in the county.
Some schools in Erie County are poised to begin a program next week aimed at keeping children who would otherwise have to quarantine because of Covid-19 in school.
Health Commissioner Dr. Gale Burstein announced Tuesday that Erie County will now work with schools throughout the county to implement a Covid-19-testing program to keep children who might have been exposed to Covid-19 from being sent home to quarantine.
Both Gov. Kathy Hochul and County Executive Mark Poloncarz have announced that the state would provide more rapid tests for schools to move the test-to-stay program forward, as well providing them to counties to distribute to the general public.
"Its success has been remarkable," said Tarja Parssinen, founder of Western New York Education Alliance. "Just think of all of those healthy students who have been needlessly quarantining."
The number of positive cases among children, teachers and staff in public schools in Erie and Niagara counties doubled from Dec. 1 to Jan. 1, with a total 2,500 new cases reported on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Nadine Fraser and her daughter Chloe Fraser, 9, are happy that she tested negative for Covid, Dec. 6 during Grand Island Central's pilot test-to-stay program. Erie County approved the program for all schools in the county.
