Broadalbin-Perth is offering random COVID-19 testing of vaccinated Broadalbin-Perth employees who opt to be tested, as well as students whose parents opt them in for testing. The district has been conducting state-mandated testing of unvaccinated employees and voluntary testing of vaccinated employees and students since November.
To help parents and employees make an informed decision about participating in this program, we have developed the following Q&A:
Who is tested at school?
Only those who register for voluntary testing through the Quadrant Biosciences will be tested. To register, visit https://app.Clarifi-COVID-19.com. Parents can register multiple children under one account. Children whose parents do NOT register them for testing will not be tested.
If an employee or student is showing any symptoms of COVID-19, they cannot be tested at school. Instead, the employee or the student’s parents will be directed to seek a PCR (send-out) test at a community provider.
What do I need to provide in order to register for voluntary testing?
The registration form will ask for insurance information (although there is no cost to you; see below). If your child does not have insurance, that’s OK – you can select that option.
The form will also ask for a social security number or driver’s license number. There is an option to decline to provide a social security number, and the driver’s license number is not required.
How often will each individual be tested?
This depends completely on the number of individuals who opt in to voluntary testing. The district is allocated a specific number of testing kits each week. Some of those kits must be used to test unvaccinated employees, according to the New York state mandate. The rest of the kits will be used for voluntary testing. Individuals who have opted in for voluntary testing will be randomly selected each week.
How is the test administered?
The Clarifi COVID-19 test involves a self-administered saliva swab, as shown in this video. The entire process takes less than five minutes.
How are the tests analyzed?
Once all samples are collected for the day, the district will send them to Quadrant’s lab to be analyzed. Samples are analyzed in groups of 12, a process known as “pooled testing.” If a sample in a pool is positive, all 12 samples will be re-analyzed individually to provide each person their unique results.
How will I receive my/my child’s test results?
Results from each test will be returned within 48-72 hours and will be available for you to view from your Clarifi account at https://app.Clarifi-COVID-19.com. If all samples in a pool are negative, each person in the pool will receive a result of “pooled presumed negative.”
What is the cost to participate in this program?
Although there is no cost to individuals for this program, the registration form does ask for insurance information. If a sample has to be individually analyzed, Quadrant will bill each individual’s insurance company for the individual test and the insurance company will cover the cost of the test through the government-funded Cares Act. There are no out-of-pocket costs (copays or deductibles) associated with this testing program.