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The Los Angeles Unified School District will ease its COVID-19 testing requirement for students and staff, announcing Tuesday that such tests will only be required for those experiencing virus symptoms and those who have been exposed to the virus.
The change will take effect Monday, and is based on “guidance of our medical advisers and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health,” according to a social media post by the district.
The LAUSD had been mandating weekly COVID tests for all students and staff. The requirement was originally expected to be lifted last December, but it was extended through February, then extended again indefinitely.
Beginning Monday, the district will shift to a “response testing” protocol, under which “only those who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, or who have been in close contact with a person who has tested positive, will be required to test,” according to the district.
All testing will be done with take-home rapid antigen tests.
Weekly PCR testing will still be required through the end of June for students at early education and care settings, according to the district.
All students will continue to use the Daily Pass portal to answer health screening questions. The portal is also used to notify students who may have been exposed to the virus.
The district in February lifted its mandatory indoor mask-wearing mandate. Although case numbers have been rising in the county and at school sites, indoor masks will remain “strongly recommended at campuses,” according to the district.
The LAUSD’s mandatory COVID-19 vaccination mandate for students has been put on hold until at least July 1, 2023.
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