Dubuque Community Schools leaders this week will begin offering at-home COVID-19 tests to sick students who might otherwise struggle to access them. Iowa Department of Education officials last week approved the district’s plan to distribute the at-home testing kits. The offering is aimed at helping students who face barriers to receiving a test, such as not having health insurance or a primary care provider or having transportation issues. A report says the kits will be offered to families as an option for students demonstrating COVID-19 symptoms. Students can take the saliva-based test at home and mail it via UPS to the State Hygienic Laboratory. Postage for the test kits is prepaid. If a test comes back positive, the local public health department is notified and follows up with the family. If the test is negative, the student can return to school.
