South Orange-Maplewood School District to Provide Mobile Testing Aug 30, Tests & Vaccinations Sept 7

From the South Orange-Maplewood School District:

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As the school year begins this fall, students in New Jersey will be returning fully to in-person instruction. While there is no statewide mandate regarding the testing of students and currently neither the CDC nor the NJDOH recommends daily testing of students, the District is continuing to investigate the availability of voluntary mobile testing and vaccination units for our community.

For the next several weeks we have secured partners to provide additional testing opportunities for the members of our school community; please see the calendar and details below.  As we secure more opportunities we will share them with you and post them to the COVID-19 Testing & Vaccination page on our District website:  https://bit.ly/C19Test_Vaccine

Upcoming Mobile Testing & Vaccinations at SOMSD:

MediMobile Testing Clinic: Monday, August 30, 9 am – 1 pm

• • Location:  CHS Gymnasium Parking Lot (Valley Street Entrance)

• • Testing will be available to all District Staff, Students, and SOMA residents.

• • PCR, Rapid and antibody testing will all be available to anyone over 6 months old. There is NO out-of-pocket cost to anyone.

• • Those with health insurance must bring proof of insurance and valid identification. Those without health insurance must bring valid identification and a form will be provided for you to complete.

Essex County Mobile Vaccination & Testing Clinic:  Tuesday, September 7, 10am – 2pm

• • Location:  CHS, Gymnasium Parking Lot (Valley Street Entrance)

• • Vaccination and testing will be available to all District Staff, Students, and Essex County residents

• • Note:  The Essex County Mobile Clinic will be returning to administer the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine to individuals who were vaccinated on August 17th.

• • They will also administer the first Pfizer, Moderna, and the (first and only) J&J vaccine.  Follow-up vaccines may be arranged at another site in 3 weeks for Pfizer and 4 weeks for Moderna.

• • Reservation recommended for vaccinations, call the Maplewood DOH, (973) 762-8120, ext. 4300

• • No appointment is needed for testing

In addition, to ensure that your child and all New Jersey students are protected against COVID-19 once schools open, here are a few steps you and your family can take in the weeks ahead:

1. 1. Get your child vaccinated: Everyone 12 years old and up is eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations. The FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccines are safe and highly effective at preventing severe illness, hospitalization, and death due to COVID-19 and remain the leading way to protect your child, your family, and your community. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all eligible students be vaccinated as soon as possible. Vaccinations for 12 through 17-year-olds require 2 doses, so for the best possible protection against COVID-19 and the highly transmissible Delta variant, students should be scheduled for their first dose as early as possible. In addition, to ensure that your child and all New Jersey students are protected against COVID-19 once schools open, here are a few steps you and your family can take in the weeks ahead:
   2. Get yourself and other household members vaccinated: Students are best protected when those around them are also protected – especially if they are under the age of 12 and cannot be vaccinated themselves. To protect yourself and your child ahead of the first day of school, please get vaccinated as soon as possible and encourage others in your household and community to get vaccinated as well.  Vaccines are free for all, immigration status will not be asked, and health insurance is not required.
   3. Have those who are not vaccinated get tested for COVID-19: If your child cannot be vaccinated (<12 years old) or is not vaccinated, we encourage you to have them tested for COVID-19 before the start of school. This will reduce the risk of COVID-19 entering schools and disrupting students’ learning and, if done early enough, may allow for some period of isolation to be completed prior to the first day of school (if needed after a positive COVID-19 test result).
   4. Be sure to mask up: When students, teachers, staff, and families correctly and consistently wear masks they protect themselves and others. This is especially important as of late, given the more transmissible Delta variant. All students, staff, and visitors in K–12 schools will be required to wear masks, regardless of vaccination status, for the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year.

Additional Resources:

To find a COVID-19 vaccination clinic near you:

• • Visit the NJ COVID-19 Vaccine Appointment Finder

• • Call the NJ Vaccine Call Center at 855-568-0545

• • Visit the vaccine section of NJ COVID-19 Information Hub

To find a free COVID-19 testing site near you:

• • Visit COVID-19 Test Site Finder on NJ COVID-19 Information Hub

• • Visit Castlight COVID-19 Test Site Finder

For additional information please visit the NJ COVID-19 Information Hub (covid19.nj.gov) or call 211 or 1-800-962-1253 with COVID-19 questions (available 24 hours / 7 days a week).

Thank you for your help in supporting a safe return to school for our students in the fall!

South Orange & Maplewood School District