Benefits of Screening with Project COVID DeteCT

The Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH), in collaboration with the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) is offering FREE weekly COVID-19 screening testing in ALL schools. The Project COVID DeteCT program is funded through federal ELC resources.

Why is our school testing for COVID-19?

Regular testing is a safe, effective way to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and help keep our schools open for in-person learning. Many people with COVID-19, especially children and teens, don’t have symptoms but can still spread the virus, so regular testing helps find infections before they can spread to others. Regular testing will help us keep students in the classroom and allow students to take part in the other activities they love.

• Keeps schools safe by catching cases before they spread to other students and staff
• Keeps our schools open by preventing further time away from in-person learning and friends by knowing whether the symptoms are COVID-19 or something else
• Stops the spread by preventing infection of other members of your household or community
• Screening testing is free and insurance will not be accessed
• The test is a lower nasal swab, not a "brain-tickler"