Magnolia ISD's free COVID-19 testing site issues 141 tests to students, employees in first week

Following the opening of a COVID-19 testing site Dec. 7 for district students and employees, Magnolia ISD reported testing 81 students and 60 employees in its first week as of a Dec. 11 release.

The free COVID-19 testing site for the district was made available by the Texas Education Agency to help keep students and staff healthy and in school, the release states.

Of the 141 tests given the week of Dec. 7, 18 were found to be positive for COVID-19, according to the release, which equals approximately a 12.76% positivity rate. Individuals wishing to be tested at the site must be actively exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms or be on the sixth day or later of a quarantine period from close contact with a COVID-19 case.

Since school began Aug. 12, the district's COVID-19 dashboard has recorded 181 cases of COVID-19 among its 15,222 total students and employees—1.19% of the population—with 39 active cases as of publication Dec. 11.

The new testing site uses the Abbott BinaxNOW rapid antigen test, according to the release. Individuals will wait on-site for approximately 30 minutes for their results, according to district information.

Testing is done on a first-come, first-served basis, and no appointment is necessary. However, students and staff wishing to be tested must bring a signed release form showing proof of employment or enrollment as well as preregistering for the test, according to district information.

The site is open to MISD students and employees from 7-10 a.m. Mondays and Tuesdays and from 7-9:30 a.m. Wednesdays through Fridays; it will be closed during district holidays and professional development days.

Learn more about the district's testing site, located at the Magnolia Event Center, here.