State Unveils Plan To Test Oklahoma Teachers, Staff Monthly For COVID-19

The Oklahoma State Health Department said Friday that it has developed a plan to provide coronavirus tests to every public school teacher and staff member monthly.

More than 80,000 teachers and staff members are eligible to participate in the voluntary program. 

OSDH will work with local county health departments on the program. Local health officials will decide where teachers and staff can receive the tests, according to Adrienne Rollins, an OSDH Deputy Chief Administrative Officer.

Rollins said testing kits of teachers will not be prioritized above the already open testing available to the public, but the program will operate separately.

“We’re going to use another private partnership to process (teachers and staff members’) tests so that we don’t, at all, impact our current testing that’s going on in our state,” Rollins said.

Governor Kevin Stitt directed the OSDH and the State Department of Education to form the plan last month as a tool to help schools return to in-person classes this fall.

Dr. Dale Bratzler, the Chief COVID-19 Officer for the University of Oklahoma Medicine, said the program will likely provide useful information about the spread of COVID-19 inside schools. 

It may also provide early warning signs of an outbreak, however, he said it’s still possible for the virus to spread among students and staff.

“Honestly, (testing teachers and staff) once a month may or may not help us very much,” Bratzler said. “Because remember, that when you do a COVID-19 test, it tells you your status that day.”

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