Franklin County Public Schools to provide PCR COVID-19 testing for students, staff

FRANKLIN COUNTY, Va. (WFXR) — Starting Monday, public school students and staff members in Franklin County will have the opportunity to get tested for the coronavirus five days a week.

Franklin County Public Schools says these PCR test results will be made available to the parent/guardian or the staff member within 24 hours.

According to the district, the testing site will operate in the lower level parking lot of the Franklin County School Board office from 4 to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Students are required to be accompanies by a parent or guardian, school officials say. Attendees are also asked to bring an insurance card — since only the insurance company will be billed — but uninsured individuals will be covered through a federal program.

The district provided the following directions about how to utilize the on-site testing site:

• Come to the lower level parking lot of the Franklin County School Board office between 4 and 5 p.m. on a weekday.
• Stay in your vehicle and wait for someone to speak with you.
• Fill out a personal information form, an insurance form, and a consent form.
• Perform a “self nasal specimen collection.”
• Register on the Dynamic Medical portal to receive the results within a 24-hour period.

According to school officials, this coronavirus testing service is being provided to Franklin County Public Schools students and staff members at no cost to the individuals.

This news comes as the district’s COVID-19 dashboard reports 173 coronavirus cases among students — including 52 from Benjamin Franklin Middle School and 48 from Franklin County High School — and 26 cases among staff over the month of September.