Dear TCGIS community / Liebe TCGIS Gemeinschaft,
We write with an update on the in-school Covid testing results from this past Tuesday, November 23, 2021.
We understand that this week’s results have caused frustration, anxiety, and disruption of plans for many families. We are grateful for your continued patience and understanding as we work through this circumstance.
Due to the significant increase in the number of positive test results compared to last week, our testing provider, Zepto Life Technology, will be conducting an in-lab audit to determine if there were any testing errors and, if so, what the root cause was. That audit will be conducted and should be completed today, Saturday, November 27. Zepto will also be available on Sunday to re-test those who tested positive on Tuesday. (Details of the re-testing have been communicated directly to impacted families.) Zepto will do all they can to make those re-test results available by end of day Sunday. Families should continue any isolation/quarantine guidelines that have been communicated by TCGIS until otherwise notified.
Zepto Life Technology has responded with urgency and integrity to this week’s unexpected results. Zepto is a certified high-complexity Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) laboratory with a Certificate of Compliance (COC). A COC is issued to a laboratory once the state agency or the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) surveyors conduct an inspection and determine that the laboratory is compliant with the applicable CLIA requirements.
MDH and the Minnesota Chapter of the American Association of Pediatrics sent a letter to school leaders on November 15 reiterating the importance of routine testing as an essential component of “multi-layered mitigation strategies.” The early detection of Covid infections in those with mild symptoms or before symptoms clearly develop remains one of our best tools for stopping the spread of the disease.
We are committed to providing information as it becomes available and, as always, to doing all we can to keep our students and staff safe and in school.
Sincerely,
Kirsten Christensen, Executive Director
Ashley Weston Miller, Director of Operations and HR, Covid Coordinator
