Families of Socorro Schools Students :
Since the beginning of the school year, unvaccinated students who were in close contact with a COVID-19 person have been required to quarantine or stay home for 10 days. A new program is now supported by the Public Education Department Called “Test to Stay”.
The “Test to Stay” program allows students and staff who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 and considered close contacts of COVID positive individuals to continue participating in classes and extracurricular activities if they test negative on rapid COVID-19 tests on days one, three and five following a possible exposure.
The Test to Stay program still requires student and staff close contacts to quarantine (stay home) except for school and school-related activities, and Test to Stay is immediately terminated if the individual exhibits COVID symptoms. In that case, self-isolation is required pending a negative COVID test. If COVID is confirmed, self-isolation continues for 10 days following the day symptoms began.
To implement the testing we are required to have consent to test your student or any staff member. Having a signed consent on file will speed testing collection. If we have permission on file we can test your student right away and don’t have to put them in a quarantine room until we can contact you. Please be assured you will be personally contacted as soon as we learn your student was in close contact with a person who tests positive for COVID. To do that please be sure all your contact information is up to date in our system.
We are attaching the Consent for BianxNOW Covid-19 Antigen Testing form. If you want to participate in the “Test to Stay” program please fill it out, sign and return the form by email to your student's school, or send it with your student and have them turn the form in to the school nurse or main office.
To help determine if someone is considered a close contact by the Public Education Department the definition is included here: Close Contact: Someone who over a 24-hour period, has a cumulative exposure of fifteen minutes or longer within six feet of a confirmed COVID-19 case with or without a face covering.
**Please note: Test to stay is only available to those individuals who are exposed to COVID-19 in the school setting. Anyone with exposure to COVID-19 in the household setting is explicitly prohibited from participating in test to stay.
If you have any questions or concerns please contact the Department of Health School Health Advocate for the Southwest, Crista Pierce RN: email: crista.pierce@state.nm.us and phone number: 575-339-4380. Or call your child's school.