First up tonight, during this pandemic
we've seen that where students learn
has a big impact on how well they do
with in person classes often being
more effective than online learning.
But COVID cases, of course,
have led to a lot of students
having to be sent home.
Today, the CDC announced new guidelines
with a test to stay approach so that
children who can test negative will
not have to go into quarantine.
Experts say this strategy keeps everyone safe
while also keeping kids in the classroom
and in a moment we'll talk
with a local Superintendent.
Who has been using the test to stay method?
He's going to tell us how that's going,
but first we're going to start
with how this is gonna work.
Tests to stay basically says to
school districts instead of mandatory
quarantines for unvaccinated
students who are close contacts
to someone who tests positive,
those students can remain in school
if they test negative at least twice
in the week following exposure.
Best to stay as an encouraging public
health practice to keep our children
in school and CDC is updating our
materials to help schools and parents
know how to best implement this
promising and now proven practice,
she says. Proven because this
has been tested at school
districts all across the country,
including Grand Island,
where the Superintendent shared this
with us today in the 1st 10 days of this
testing program starting December 6th,
the district performed 175 total tests.
Only one came back positive,
so the kids who were close contacts
got to remain in class and they
avoided more than 1000 hours of
instructional time that otherwise
would have been lost to quarantine
and the Superintendent joins us.
Now, Doctor Brian Graham.
Thanks so much for being here.
You know the numbers that you shared
with us seem to indicate that this
test to stay program has certainly had
a positive impact for Grand Island,
so we're interested in hearing more about
what your experience has been with it.
And if you think the CDC made
the right call today.
Oh absolutely, this is a game changer
for our students here in Grand Island,
and the fact that the CDC
has endorsed it and such.
And they say it's a proven practice.
This could be a game changer for all
students across the United States.
For us here, you hit the nail on the head.
You know, over 1044 hours
of maintained continuity of
learning access to mental health,
supports food and nutrition.
You know that's that's fantastic.
So being able to offer
families another strategy,
another option to keep their kids in
school is really exciting and we're very,
very happy to see the CDC
sees it the same way
Dr Grimm since the pandemic began.
Schools have had to go through
so many different changes in
different phases of reopening.
You had hybrid models,
sometimes full remote.
I wonder if this test to stay
program is the most successful
that you've seen thus far in
terms of keeping everybody safe.
But also keeping them engaged.
Yeah, absolutely you know.
First, I really want to thank the
Erie County Department of Health for
partnering with us on this pilot study.
We're using Buffalo home care as
a personnel to conduct the test
before the school day begins.
Our nurses, our administrators,
are doing the outstanding
job with contact tracing.
You can imagine it's it's a lot.
There's a lot involved here,
a lot of logistics.
But with that said,
the smiles and students faces knowing they
can stay in school and be with their.
Their teachers and their
friends and continue learning.
There's nothing better than that,
so you know.
Again, you know.
Families have options now,
and at this test to stay can be
grown throughout the country.
We really are looking forward to seeing
what the New York State Department
of Health will do and how they
will react to this very good news.
There shouldn't be anything that
gets in the way of the New York State
Department of Health moving this
forward for all students across the state.
Getting a little more into the details
of this and sort of how it all works.
If a student, for example,
is named as a close contact in
school of a confirmed positive case,
what does that mean for
that particular student?
How is the testing then conducted
and how many days of testing does
that student have to go through
to remain in the school building?
Yeah, excellent question.
So let's say you know my son is
identified as a close contact and
Erie County would call it day zero
or we would call it day zero so.
There was an immediate notification
to the school that a person that was
in close contact to say to my son.
Was positive with COVID,
so day 0 means you know this.
My child would have been quarantined
the next day for a total of seven days
and not be allowed to attend school.
Instead, now my son would be able to
come to school 1/2 an hour early.
Get tested by Buffalo Home care and then
given the rapid antigen negative result,
stay in school for that day.
If, of course, if that is a positive result,
then the child is immediately
taken home by their parent,
and they then begin that isolation.
So in our district, over 10 days,
we've only had one positive case,
so that's really, really important.
Obviously, to share in this small sample set.
But the larger sample set that the CDC
reviewed was from Massachusetts and Utah,
and there were 67,000 tests
given in Massachusetts.
And 66,000 students remained an in
person school because of tests to state,
and Utah had very similar numbers.
So again, you know the fact that.
There's a lot of planning that goes into
the logistics around making this happen.
Once that planning is is set and
that schools across the country
and across New York State have
access to the rapid antigen tests,
I think this is a win win for families.
It's been so great to have this
local perspective on all of this.
We've been chatting with Doctor
Brian Graham, Superintendent of
Grand Island Schools, Doctor Graham.
Thanks again for your time tonight.
We so appreciate it. Appreciate it.
You're welcome. Have a good night.
Yeah, thank you so much. All right.
There is also a testing change
that is coming to the border with
Canada starting this Tuesday.
Canadians who make short trips here to
the United States will once again have to
show a negative PCR test to return home.
And this is in response to growing
worries over the Omicron variant.
Recently, Canadians,
who made quick trips here to
the US for less than 72 hours.
Didn't have to do the negative test,
but again, the testing
requirement returns Tuesday,
which will impact Canadians who
plan to come here, maybe to shop.
Or maybe go to a bills or Sabres game.
The testing exception, by the way,
was only for Canadians as they
were returning home, all Americans
going north of the border have
had to do that negative PCR test.
So we have talked so far
about testing at school.