“Test to Stay” designed to keep classes full

By week’s end, the state intends to deliver to the public schools 300 thousand rapid-at-home tests.  That number of tests is part of a 1 million, 600 thousand order placed by DHEC.  The state health agency encourages schools to use TTS—the Test to Stay program—to better ensure healthy students can continue in-person learning.  TTS allows rapid tests to be done on K-12 students who have been exposed to a COVID-19 infected person in the hope that more of them may remain in class.  The program permits students to stay in the classroom if they test negative between 5-7 days and are not experiencing symptoms.  According to the COVID tracking page kept by Oconee schools, there were 1,042 cases of the virus in January—763 of those were students.