COVID-19 School Testing

The Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH), in partnership with Concentric by Ginkgo Bioworks (Ginkgo), is offering COVID-19 testing services at no cost to all K-12 schools across the Commonwealth for the entire 2022-2023 school year.  We are excited to share our partnership with Concentric by Ginkgo regarding K-12 COVID Testing in our schools. 

Test-to-Stay (TTS) Program Information

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, which is in partnership with Concentric by Ginkgo Bioworks for this program, Test-to-Stay (TTS) is a COVID-19 strategy that enables school-aged students and staff to continue in-person learning while minimizing the disruption of quarantine on students, families, and schools.  Specifically, 

  • TTS allows individuals who are identified as a close contact to a case of COVID-19 in certain school settings to continue in-person learning, so long as they remain asymptomatic and serially test negative for COVID-19. 

  • Students and staff, who are not required to quarantine under CDC guidance, do not need to participate in TTS to continue in-person learning, as long as they remain asymptomatic. 

  • Individuals who were exposed to COVID-19 in non-school settings (e.g., household or community exposure) are not eligible for TTS and should continue to follow the standard CDC-recommended protocol for exposure.

Symptomatic Testing