Calgary Catholic schools use 1,000 tests weekly in mandatory program for unvaccinated staff

The Calgary Catholic School District says it has used more than 10,000 rapid COVID-19 test kits provided by the province so far this school year, with half of those being used by staff not fully vaccinated participating in the district's mandatory rapid testing program.

The district said it received nearly 84,000 rapid COVID-19 tests after making a request for the free tests.

The tests are being used for a voluntary rapid testing program that allows all staff one optional test per week and the district's mandatory program which requires two tests per-week for staff who did not declare themselves fully vaccinated.

500 employees enrolled in mandatory program

The district says the mandatory program has about 500 employees enrolled, and uses roughly a thousand tests per week.

"November the 3rd is when we started. People have been really compliant. There was only a handful of people that I laid off without pay," said superintendent Bryan Szumlas. 

"We're really hoping that they are going to get back soon and return to us, and so we've been working with them."

Szumlas said he anticipates the tests provided by the province will last the district well into next year.

When there is an outbreak at a Calgary Catholic school that is confirmed by Alberta Health Services, the provincial agency works directly with the school to provide testing kits to students, staff and families.

There have been three COVID-19 outbreaks at CCSD schools to date.

CBE not providing tests for staff

The Calgary Board of Education says it didn't make a large scale request for rapid tests from the province, but CBE schools identified as having outbreaks on the AHS School Status page have received the free tests.

"The CBE has had three elementary schools reach the threshold since this program started. This program is voluntary. Families and staff members request the testing kits from the school," the CBE said in a statement.

The school board says it is not centrally monitoring the number of tests sent home at each school.

"This is managed between each school and AHS," it said. 'We have not provided rapid tests to any other schools in our system."

The CBE said it is not providing rapid tests for staff.

"At this point 94 per cent of CBE employees have declared that they are fully immunized," said the board.

The CBE said its requirement to be immunized or tested does not start until Dec. 17.

"As of now, it appears that a few hundred employees are opting to participate in rapid testing starting Dec. 17 when the policy takes effect," it said. "In keeping with the CBE's immunization policy, unvaccinated employees and contractors from third-party organizations will need to have received a rapid antigen test within 72 hours of attending CBE worksites."