Update on At-Home Antigen Testing Program in K-12 Schools

K-12 COVID Response Update January 26, 2022

Todays Presentation Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Executive Office of Health and Human Services Shah Foundation Russell Johnston, Deputy Commissioner Lauren Woo, Strategic Transformation Director Ross Wilson, Executive Director Eliza Novick, Project Manager Marisa Meldonian, Associate Director Lizzie Gordon, Project Associate Jeremiah Hay, Deputy Chief of Staff, EOHHS Sean Burpoe, Strategy Manager, EOHHS 2 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

01 Review of Delivery Schedule for Tests Frequently Asked Questions Regarding At-Home Antigen Program 02 03 Summary of Next Steps and Other Notes CONTENTS

Available Resources and Review of Delivery Schedule for Tests 01

Available Resources All resources for the statewide testing program are available at https://www.doe.mass.edu/covid19/testing/default.html Translated training materials for families are included in the Template Opt-In Letter for Families 5 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Overview: delivering at home antigen tests to schools During the week of 1/24, CIC will deliver tests to staff members for all schools that submitted their opt-in survey prior to COB on 1/21. CIC will deliver tests for students to those same districts during the week of 1/31. During the second week of February, this staggered schedule will end, and tests for both staff and students will be delivered simultaneously. o The visual on the next page gives an overview of this timeline. CIC will deliver most tests via UPS. These contact person on these orders will receive a tracking number via email when the order ships. 6 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Delivery schedule through 3/6 Sun Mon Tues Weds Thurs Fri Sat 16 17 18 19 20 21 Last day for staff delivery inputs for priority districts 22 23 24 Staff deliveries 25 26 27 28 Last day for student delivery inputs for priority districts 29 30 31 Student deliveries 1 2 3 4 5 Deadline for staff quantity (qty.) changes 6 7 Staff deliveries 8 9 10 11 12 Deadline for student quantity (qty.) changes 13 14 Staff + student deliveries 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 No deliveries (Feb. break) 22 23 24 25 26 Deadline for staff +student qty. changes 27 28 Staff + student deliveries 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 No deliveries All received previous week 8 9 10 11 12 Deadline for staff +student qty. changes 7 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education January February Note: Staff will receive back-to-back deliveries during week of 2/6 and 2/13. March

Notes on delivery schedule For this week, districts must submit their count of opted-in students by Friday, 1/28 to receive tests during the week of 1/31. o If a district does not submit these numbers by this deadline, they will not receive tests. o We strongly encourage you to submit numbers by COB today (Wednesday, 1/26) to provide sufficient time to ship all tests, even if you are submitting an estimate o If you are having difficulty accessing the Supply Form, please email support@cic-health.com to gain login credentials. Moving forward, districts must confirm their student/staff opt-ins by the Wednesday (COB) preceding a delivery week. o If a district does not update this number by Wednesday COB, its shipment Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will reflect the quantity most recently entered into the CIC portal. 8

Delivery FAQs Question: I missed the priority deadline of 1/21. When will I receive my first set of tests? o Answer: Any district that applies after the initial priority deadline of 1/21 will be folded into the existing distribution schedule. o For example, if a district is approved on 1/31 and enters their staff/student numbers into the CIC portal, they will receive their first shipment during the week of 2/7 (staff only). Question: I did not enter my opt-in count for students and staff by the recurring COB Wednesday deadline. My last entry was from the previous week. How many tests will I receive? o Answer: Your school/district will receive kits based on your most recent entry (the previous week). 9 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Frequently Asked Questions Regarding At-Home Antigen Program 02

At-Home Testing: The Opt-in Process for Districts and Schools Do districts and schools need school committee or board approval to change to the new testing option? oAs with other state testing programs, districts/schools are not required to obtain school committee or board approval prior to transitioning to at-home testing. However, nothing prohibits districts/schools from seeking such approval. 11 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Submitting the At-Home Testing Survey Is there somewhere to check for confirmation after a school has completed the survey to select the new testing option? oAny school or district that completed opt-in survey on Friday, January 21 received an email from DESE on Saturday, January 22 with important information regarding the shipment of at-home tests, how to update the number of staff and students participating in the program, and additional deadlines and information to prioritize. As new survey responses are processed, districts and schools signing up for the new option will receive a similar email. This email is likely to come 1-2 days after your survey submission. 12 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Counting Participating Staff and Students Which staff may be included in at-home testing? o All school staff may be included in at-home testing (i.e., administrators, teachers, paraprofessionals, clerks, nutrition staff, custodial staff, safety staff, bus drivers, coaches, student interns, etc.). The district/school must seek opt-in confirmation from these staff members to determine accurate participation numbers. 13 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Counting Participating Staff and Students (continued) Do we include staff/students who are not currently eligible to test (due to recent covid infection) in the count of participating staff? oIndividuals who have had COVID-19 within the past 90 days are exempt from at-home testing. These individuals should not be included in your supply count. (Please note, these individuals should not be included in routine pooled testing for the 90-day period.) oDESE and HHS understand that accurately counting the 90-day period is challenging and so we ask districts and schools to make their best effort when making this determination. 14 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Transitioning Away from Contact Tracing and Test & Stay Is there a minimum participation rate for at-home testing that districts must have in order to end Test and Stay? oCurrently, there is no minimum participation rate to implement the new testing option and discontinue Test & Stay. However, the program must be offered to all grade levels and all staff (i.e., a district/school cannot select specific grades or only staff to participate). 15 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Transitioning Away from Contact Tracing and Test & Stay (continued) When can districts and schools participating in the new testing option stop contact tracing? If our district chooses to participate in the new testing option, do we still continue to contact trace until January 31? oDistricts/schools that are participating in the new testing option can discontinue contact tracing and Test and Stay once they have initiated distribution of at-home tests to students. 16 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Opt-in Process Can families choose to opt-in at any time? oYes, families can choose to opt into any component of the testing program that the district is offering at any time. Can a district wait to transition to the at-home testing program to gather sufficient opt-ins? oYes. However, districts should understand that they may not immediately receive at-home antigen tests when opting into the program. Any district that opts-in after 1/21 will be incorporated into the existing distribution schedule. 17 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Delivery schedule through 3/6 Sun Mon Tues Weds Thurs Fri Sat 16 17 18 19 20 21 Last day for staff delivery inputs for priority districts 22 23 24 Staff deliveries 25 26 27 28 Last day for student delivery inputs for priority districts 29 30 31 Student deliveries 1 2 3 4 5 Deadline for staff quantity (qty.) changes 6 7 Staff deliveries 8 9 10 11 12 Deadline for student quantity (qty.) changes 13 14 Staff + student deliveries 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 No deliveries (Feb. break) 22 23 24 25 26 Deadline for staff +student qty. changes 27 28 Staff + student deliveries 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 No deliveries All received previous week 8 9 10 11 12 Deadline for staff +student qty. changes 18 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education January February Note: Staff will receive back-to-back deliveries during week of 2/6 and 2/13. March

Opt-in Process (continued) Can districts do an opt-out form instead of an opt-in form? o No. All parents/caregivers and staff must voluntarily opt-in to the program to receive tests. Can we require students/staff to participate in pooled or symptomatic testing in order to receive the at home tests? oAccess to at-home antigen tests may not be contingent on participation in another component of the K-12 testing program (e.g., pooled testing). Can we opt-in to at-home antigen testing for staff but not students? o No. Districts and schools must choose to either participate in the updated program or the original program. These two options may not be combined. 19 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Managing iHealth Inventory Where will tests be delivered? oTests will be delivered to a single location within the district. The district/school may update this address and delivery point of contact in the Supply Hub section of the CIC Health portal. Districts should verify the current supply hub address and request a supply hub change request to enter a new location. 20 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Managing iHealth Inventory (continued) How many tests will students have access to over a two- week period? What if a student uses both tests within a week can they request a second one within a two-week period? oEach iHealth kit comes with two tests. One test should be used each week, and an individual may only receive one kit during a two-week period. oEach district is responsible for managing its own inventory. DESE will approve requests for additional supply outside of the normal delivery cadence only in extremely limited circumstances. 21 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

iHealth Tests: Temperature Sensitivity Are the iHealth tests temperature sensitive as the BinaxNOW tests are? oPer the iHealth EUA, iHealth tests should be stored between 36 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit. oEnsure all test components are at room temperature (between 65 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit) before use. 22 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Delivery schedule through 3/6 Sun Mon Tues Weds Thurs Fri Sat 16 17 18 19 20 21 Last day for staff delivery inputs for priority districts 22 23 24 Staff deliveries 25 26 27 28 Last day for student delivery inputs for priority districts 29 30 31 Student deliveries 1 2 3 4 5 Deadline for staff quantity (qty.) changes 6 7 Staff deliveries 8 9 10 11 12 Deadline for student quantity (qty.) changes 13 14 Staff + student deliveries 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 No deliveries (Feb. break) 22 23 24 25 26 Deadline for staff +student qty. changes 27 28 Staff + student deliveries 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 No deliveries All received previous week 8 9 10 11 12 Deadline for staff +student qty. changes 23 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education January February Note: Staff will receive back-to-back deliveries during week of 2/6 and 2/13. March

Beginning Testing Do we start testing staff when we receive the kits ahead of students or do they all start testing both students and staff together? oDistricts and schools that signed up by the 1/21 deadline can send tests home with teachers during the week of 1/24 to start using that week. oDistricts and schools that submit their order by 1/28 will receive tests during the week of 1/31 to be sent home with students to start using that week. oEach box has 2 tests, and each individual receiving a box should take those two tests on successive weeks. 24 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Quarantine Protocols Do unvaccinated individuals still have to quarantine if they become close contacts outside of school? oAll out of school close contacts should follow the updated DPH quarantine protocols. 25 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

CIC support staff roles Will CIC Health staff continue to support pooled testing and symptomatic testing? What other roles could these teams play? oCIC Health staff will continue to support pooled testing and symptomatic testing in the same manner as the fall. For schools choosing to continue Test and Stay, CIC Health staff will continue to support their testing efforts, as well. oIn addition to supporting pooled testing and symptomatic testing, CIC Health staff can support at-home antigen testing. This may include supports such as: Distribution, collection, and organization of opt-in forms Organization and on-site distribution of the testing kits 26 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

CIC support staff roles: updating opt-in numbers My CIC program coordinator orders my pooled testing supplies and BinaxNOW through the CIC portal. Can they also update my opt-in numbers for at-home antigen testing? oYes. Provided that the district relays the appropriate information (i.e., number of opted-in individuals), the program coordinator may enter this information into the CIC portal on behalf of the district. 27 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Test Availability and Administration Guidelines How are the tests given to the families? Do they get sent home with students or can schools provide them directly to parents/caregivers? oHow districts and schools handle distribution to families is a local decision. Both options are acceptable. oIf there are concerns about students carrying the tests home themselves, districts and schools can create other distribution options or modify the opt-in form as necessary. oImportant to note that students have been carrying tests home in various ways throughout this school year in MA and many other states. 28 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Intended Use of At-Home Antigen Test Kits Are test kits also available to the families of students/staff, or just the students and staff using the tests? oTest are only for staff and students that have opted-in to the testing program. oWhen completing the application, districts attested that they will provide the at-home antigen tests to only those students and staff, vaccinated or unvaccinated, who opt-in. 29 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Intended Use of At-Home Antigen Test Kits (continued) Can I use the at-home antigen (iHealth) tests for symptomatic testing at schools or otherwise administer these tests in schools? o No. These tests should be distributed to students and staff for at-home use only. o Districts should continue to use BinaxNOW tests for symptomatic testing. BinaxNOW tests can be ordered through the CIC portal. If we conduct single-swab routine pooled testing (i.e., BinaxNOW for reflex testing), should we use the at-home antigen test in place of BinaxNOW? o No. Districts should continue to use BinaxNOW tests for follow-up/reflex testing. BinaxNOW tests may be ordered through the CIC portal. 30 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Timing of Pooled Testing and At-Home Testing How many days after the pooled testing day should the at- home tests be done? oWe recommend at least two days between pooled testing and at- home testing. 31 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Reporting Positive Cases Should private schools report their positive cases to DESE using this program? o No. But as a reminder, public schools must report positive cases using the DESE Security Portal on a weekly basis. We already have a system in place for families to document when their child tests positive (e.g., through Google Forms), can we continue to utilize this method instead of what DESE may offer? o Yes. Do we still upload the data from symptomatic testing into the CIC portal? o Yes. All results (negative and positive) for BinaxNOW tests, must be uploaded to the CIC portal. 32 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Vaccines Can we request a booster clinic or is it only for first and second doses? oYes, districts can request a booster clinic. However, priority will go to schools/districts that have not had the opportunity to host a clinic yet and/or have lower than average vaccination rates. 33 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Summary of Next Steps and Other Notes 03

Key dates to begin new program during the week of 1/31 By January 28, districts and schools should collect opt-in forms from interested families and submit request for at- home tests through CIC portal. During the week of January 31, districts will begin to receive tests for participating students. Once the district or school distributes these tests, it will discontinue contact tracing and Test and Stay. After January 31, districts will receive additional at-home tests on regular basis. Districts should update participation numbers on an as needed basis. 35 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Important Reminders Districts and schools may elect to switch to the new testing options by responding to the DESE survey anytime between now and April 1, 2022. oIf a district or school is not currently implementing routine pooled testing and/or symptomatic testing, they must also fill out the Authorized School Application. DESE and EOHHS/DPH will incorporate districts and schools that opt into the updated testing program after January 21 into the existing distribution schedule. 36 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Reminder: Mobile Vaccination Program Process We are accepting mobile vaccination clinic requests, with priority given to clinics for 5-11 year-olds Mobile vaccination clinic requests must be submitted: o Through the online form (mass.gov/mobilevaccineform), and o At least 14 business days before the desired clinic date If a clinic request can be accommodated, an approval notification email will be sent to introduce the clinic requestor to the designated vaccination provider If you previously worked with a provider and enjoyed that experience, please note that in the request Once you are connected with a provider, they will provide consent forms and a scheduling platform. We encourage as much pre-registration as possible to streamline the process Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Important links on DESE website Order supplies and update opt-in numbers: cich-ma.zendesk.com COVID-19 Testing Program: https://www.doe.mass.edu/covid19/testing/ o District opt-in survey o Authorized School Application (for districts/schools new to symptomatic and/or routine pooled testing) o Webinar recordings and slides o Opt-in forms and parent letters On the Desktop: https://www.doe.mass.edu/covid19/on-desktop.html o Protocols for Responding to COVID-19 Scenarios o Protocols Flowcharts General FAQs: https://www.doe.mass.edu/covid19/faq/ o Protocols and other reopening FAQs (also sent out in the Commissioner s Weekly Update) 38 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Have a question? Need help? Here s how to get in touch: oFirst, contact your Program Coordinator They are your best first line of defense. oIf you don t hear back, contact CIC support support@cic-health.com Please allow a few hours for a response during the next few weeks oStill don t have what you need? Send us a note! DESE: k12covid19testing@mass.gov Shah Foundation: CovidEdTesting@ShahFoundation.org Please note: If you need help, please reach out as early as possible. All teams are experiencing a high volume and the sooner we hear from you the better. 39 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education