School Covid testing firm isn’t ready

The state-funded vendor that was to do Covid-19 testing of students in the Cedar Grove-Belgium school district wasn’t prepared to start when the first school bell rang Sept. 1.

Like many businesses, Supt. Chad Brakke told the School Board last week, the company is struggling to hire employees.

Parent permission is required for the tests and parents have been requesting them, Brakke said.

“I think in the long run that will be a nice mitigation strategy,” Brakke said.

In the meantime, school nurse Kristina Gabrielse has been going through training to administer rapid tests.

As of Sept. 10, 11 students have been quarantined due to close contacts at home. Six are from the elementary school, three are middle-schoolers and two are high-schoolers. Two students contracted Covid-19, but that was before school started. No staff members are quarantined.

Students who are vaccinated who have a positive case in their household may come to school. Sheboygan County is recommending those students wear a mask and get tested after three days.

“We’re not mandating that at this time, however, it makes a lot of sense,” Brakke said. “And it may be something we have to go to.”