North Carolina’s Department of Health & Human Services announced it would be conducting a pilot in which a select group of NC schools would receive rapid COVID-19 tests as an additional measure to protect its staff and students from the virus. LNC was contacted by the NCDHHS and invited to apply for the pilot because of the success we have had in developing strong procedural safeguards within our school community and our ability to be successful with this type of pilot. 

There are several benefits to LNC participating in this pilot program including but not limited to 1) the ability to identify positive cases quickly so that we may begin contact tracing immediately, 2) to add rapid testing to the schools' arsenals to protect staff and students from the virus and 3) to gather data for the state and county so they may better understand how the virus is spreading in schools.

Students showing symptoms at school are eligible for the Covid-19 rapid test. Parents will be contacted and given all the information necessary to make an informed decision about whether they would like their student to be administered a Covid-19 rapid test on campus. If parents opt to have the test, they must sign a consent form. Additionally, LNC will use these rapid tests for other situations as needed, i.e. senior prom.

Yes! Parents will be sent a consent form via email which will need to be completed and returned before the symptomatic student is administered the Covid-19 rapid test on campus.