Massachusetts begins distributing rapid COVID-19 tests for students

NORWOOD, Mass. — Wednesday was the deadline for parents to opt in to the new COVID-19 testing program in schools across Massachusetts.

The state will start sending rapid COVID-19 tests home with students this week if their parents were willing to sign up.

“I don’t really agree with testing healthy children, I think we should be leaving it up to our pediatricians,” said Whitney Fitzgibbon, a mother of two in Walpole.

Fitzgibbon opted out of the state’s new rapid testing program for schools.

She says she just wants her 8-year-old daughter to have a sense of normalcy.

“She’s really never experienced a normal school year, you know, with masks off and sitting with all your friends at lunch, not just sitting with six friends at lunch, field trips, like these kids need to get back to normal life,” said Fitzgibbon.

She says she doesn’t want to test her kids every week if they’re not showing symptoms.

Plus, she wonders if parents will even administer the tests correctly and worries kids will miss school when they’re not even sick.

“I have family members who have done at-home tests that were negative and ended up being positive, so I just think if these tests aren’t correct and these kids are now missing school and things like that I just don’t think it’s fair to the children or the families,” said Fitzgibbon.

Other parents have no problem with the new program.

“I think it will be a great thing, it will be a piece of mind for all parents,” said Kevin Donohue.

Donahue signed his kids up to receive those rapid tests from their school in Norwood.

He says it’s better safe than sorry to test every week before they go to school.

“As long as it’s accurate as long as everything is coordinated, I think it should go over okay,” said Donohue.

Under the new program, students can take rapid tests home every other week for free if their parents opted in.

Each box has two COVID-19 tests, so those students will be expected to test weekly.

Regardless of whether students take home rapid COVID-19 tests or not, DESE is recommending school staff to focus more on identifying students who show symptoms of COVID-19.

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