Rhode Island to close 6 school COVID-19 testing sites – Associated Press

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) Rhode Island is shutting down six state-run COVID-19 testing sites that since September have exclusively served school and child care students and staff.

The sites will not be needed as testing will be available on-site at schools in the fall, and because testing is now more accessible in traditional health care settings, the state Department of Health said in a statement Thursday.

The sites will end operations on July 31.

They are at the Stop & Shop in Bristol; the Stop & Shop in Cranston; the YMCA in Lincoln; the Manton Avenue Stop & Shop in Providence; Fidelity Investments in Smithfield; and the Walmart in Westerly.

The states plan for full in-person learning for the fall includes on-site testing, with school districts able to design and resource their plans. Options will include symptomatic testing, outbreak testing, and asymptomatic testing.

The sites were opened in September to support the return to in-person learning and child care.

Five school and child care testing sites will remain open.

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Rhode Island to close 6 school COVID-19 testing sites - Associated Press