Sudbury's health unit reviewing guidelines to bring asymptomatic COVID-19 testing to schools

Sudbury's health unit says it has have been given the green light by the province to start asymptomatic COVID-19 testing in schools.

PHSD said in an email to CBC News that they are currently reviewing the Ministry of Health's"operational details on asymptomatic targeted testing in schools."

The health unitwill work with school boards "to determine the role for testing in local school communities experiencing outbreaks, schools with high case counts and/or a high level of community transmission."

Three local Catholic schools already have COVID-19 testing underway because they've had outbreaks.

• COVID-19 by the numbers in northeastern Ontario vaccinations and cases in our area

This is welcome news for the English Public school board in Sudbury, which has asked for the testing, afterthe Ministry said it was expanding testing to all Ontario public schools where in-person learning has resumed.

Rainbow District School Board Chair Doreen Dewar says having the voluntary tests available would reduce anxiety among the staff, students and parents.

"We are especially desirous of having something done in the Rainbow system because our school board stretches from the urban centre of Sudbury to the rural areas of Espanola and Manitoulin Island," she said.

"We see a great deal of benefit to the families throughout the Rainbow District School Board. We also share ... all of our buses are shared with other boards."