SEATTLE — Seattle Public Schools canceled school on Monday in order to offer COVID-19 testing to staff and students before classes resume in person.
The school district received 60,000 rapid antigen tests from the Washington State Department of Health, according to a release posted on the district's website.
COVID-19 testing will be available to all SPS staff and students on Jan. 3 in an effort to minimize the spread of the highly transmissible omicron variant and reduce disruptions to in-person learning, according to the release.
"Because 80% to 90% of positive cases are asymptomatic, identifying them before, and quickly after, classes resume will reduce the spread of the virus in our schools," the release reads.
Classes will resume in person on Tuesday, Jan 4.
Visit the district's website to find an SPS COVID-19 testing clinic location. All clinics will be held in participating school cafeterias unless otherwise noted.
Students that attend central and southeast Seattle schools will also be able to access rapid antigen COVID-19 testing at South Shore PreK-8 at 4800 S Henderson St. Seattle from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 2. Families are encouraged to register online ahead of time.
School buildings will be open during normal hours on Monday for students who need meals. All schools will serve grab-and-go lunches between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. for students.
Click here to see the requirements students must meet to return to school after a positive COVID-19 test.