BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts began distributing 227,000 rapid, at-home COVID-19 tests Saturday to every school district, officials said.
It’s hoped teachers and school staff will be able to take the tests before returning to school Monday.
The state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education had announced this week that it purchased more than 200,000 rapid tests for statewide distribution to statewide so faculty and staff could be tested. But the first of the tests didn’t arrive until Friday.
On Saturday, the National Guard and Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency began distributing boxes of the kits to representatives from school districts at a facility in Franklin.
Each school district was expected to receive enough test kits to give two tests to each staff member.
The delay prompted the state’s largest teachers union to urge that schools be closed Monday so staff could get tests. But the state rejected that request.
