Local families flock to testing sites after April school vacation

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. — April school vacation is beginning to wrap up, and for families traveling out of the state, there are some rules to follow before students can head back into the classroom.

The drive-thru testing site in Framingham had lines of cars with people just back from out-of-state trips. One family told Boston 25 News that they went to North Carolina; another family just returned from Florida.

Now, with many schools back in person, there is state guidance on what students need to do before returning to the classroom.

“Either quarantine for 10 days or get a negative test,” one Natick High school student said.

The state is recommending all schools follow the updated travel advisory, which says quarantine for 10 days when you return with the following exceptions: you test negative within 72 hours unless you’re under 10 years old, you are fully vaccinated, or if you were gone for less than 24 hours.

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Worcester’s school superintendent told parents that testing for children 10 years old and younger, who are traveling with an adult from their household, is not necessary but recommended by the Worcester Public Schools.

You can also get your test done when you get back to Massachusetts, but if you do that you have to stay quarantined until you get your negative result.

“We actually came back a little early so we could get them tested,” one parent said.

Some parents said they would have tested even if it wasn’t highly recommended.

“More for personal safety and everybody else,” a parent said.

Some school districts like Quincy said they also have their pool testing in place, so that will help immediately flag students who may have caught COVID-19 while on school break.

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