WILLIAMSBURG JAMES CITY COUNTY — Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools (WJCC) is among the first school divisions in Virginia to offer a new COVID-19 screening testing program for its staff and students.
The new program, Virginia School Screening Testing for Assurance (ViSSTA), is being offered as a proactive health and safety measure for the school district to help identify those who may be carrying the COVID-19 virus before symptoms may occur.
The program offers free COVID-19 screening tests and is entirely voluntary. As of Oct. 12, 2021, more than 464 participants have signed up to be a part of the program.
The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) and Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) have partnered to develop the program.
The program is funded by a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) grant that gives VDH and VDOE the ability to provide vendors, supplies, and staffing to schools that wish to participate in the prevention efforts.
The testing has not yet begun through VDOE and VDH. WJCC families and staff are still in the process of signing up to participate in the new COVID-19 screening program.
According to WJCC’s COVID-19 Dashboard, as of Wednesday., Oct 13, there are thirty-six students who tested positive and are in isolation, 170 students in quarantine, three staff positive in isolation, and two staff members in quarantine.
Also according to the dashboard, 91 percent of WJCC employees have been fully vaccinated, and 35 percent of eligible students from ages 12 to 17 have been vaccinated.
WJCC recommends that parents and students use their WJCC Symptom Checker to help identify the early symptoms of COVID-19.
Students and staff can sign up for the program by filling out a consent form on the WJCC website.
