Johnson County to provide thousands of tests for schools

Johnson County schools will receive thousands of saliva tests in the next few weeks for students and staff, according to the county health department.

PODS" FOR THEIRCHILDREN.COVID-19 TESTING ISCOMING TO JOHNSONCOUNTY SCHOOLS.AND THAT HAS PARENTSHOPEFUL - IN-PERSONLEARNING COULD RESUMESOONER THAN EXPECTED.AS JOHNSON COUNTYSCHOOL DISTRICTSDECIDED HOW STUDENTSWOULD RETURN TO CLASS- THEY PAID CLOSEATTENTION TO GATINGCRITERIA.RIGHT NOW - THECOUNTY'S POSITIVITYRATE SITS AT 11-POINT-4PERCENT AND ISTRENDING UPWARD.41 ACTION NEWSREPORER JORDAN BETTSJOINS US LIVE.SHE HAS DETAILS ON HOWTHESE SALIVA TESTS WILLBE UTILIZED.LESS THAN AN HOUR AGO,THE JOHNSON COUNTYDEPARTMENT OF HEALTHAND ENVIORNMENT SAYSTHEY PLAN TO BROADLYTEST TO SEE WHAT ISHAPPENING IN THECOMMUNITY AND MAKEINFORMED DECISIONS.HOW OFTEN THEY WILLTEST...THAT'S UNDECIDED.Kurt Kloeblen, Shawnee MissionSchool District Parent"It really adds another layer ofcomfortTHERE IS HOPE FORJOHNSON COUNTYPARENTS LIKE KURTKLOEBLEN.Dr. Sanmi Areola, Director ofJohnson County Department ofHealth and Environment"We are going to be able totest thousands of students,teachers and staff."AS THE HEALTHDEPARTMENT ISPROVIDING SOMETHING,MANY CALL A GAMECHANGER.Dr. Sanmi Areola, Director ofJohnson County Department ofHealth and Environment"The board of countycommissioners recently thispast week approved moneyfor salvia tests that we aregoing to devote exclusively toschools."41 ACTION NEWSOBTAINED THE BOARD OFCOMMISSIONERS BRIEFINGTHAT SHOWS 200,000DOLLARS WILL BE SPENTON TESTING AND THECOMPANY DOING IT...CLINICAL REFERENCELABORATORY IN LENEXA.Heather Fehling, ChiefScientificOfficer- Molecular DiagnosticsforClinical Reference Laboratory"If the pool tests positive, sothat means potentially one ormore people their salivasample within that pool arepositive.

So, then we go backto the original five samples.We put them in a singlesample through our wholeprocess.

Test them and figureout which sample waspositive."MONDAY WE GOT A BEHINDTHE SCENES LOOK AT THISTESTING THAT GIVES CANGIVE RESULTS IN JUST 14HOURS.SOME PARENTS IN THESHAWNEE MISSIONDISTRICT ARE HAPPYABOUT ANNOUNCEMENT.Kurt Kloeblen, Shawnee MissionSchool District Parent"It definitely gives that addlayer of knowing I guess whois positive and I think beingable to separate those outfrom the folks that arenegative."Megan Neher, Shawnee MissionSchool District Parent"Maybe with the testing, wewill be able to come backsooner."WHILE THERE ARE STILLMANY QUESTIONSRELATING TO THISTESTING, PARENTS SEETHIS AS A STEP ATGETTING BACK SOMNORMALCY.Megan Neher, Shawnee MissionSchool District Parent"It does make me feel betterthat there is light at the endofthis tunnel that Natalie maybeable to go back to in-personlearning at Shawnee MissionSouth."THE HEALTH DEPARTMENTPLANS TO HAVE ENOUGHTESTS TO BE ABLE TO DOON DEMAND TESTING FORSTUDENTS, TEACHERSAND STAFF.TESTING COULD START ASEARLY AS NEXT WE