U.S. Schools Encourage COVID Testing Before Returning to Classes This Week

Hundreds of thousands of U.S. students and staff will face a new ritual as they return to school after the holiday spike in COVID-19 infections: ramped up testing. In Washington, D.C., all students and staff must provide proof they are COVID-negative before re-entering schools on January 5. In Chicago, the public schools are hustling to process more than 37,000 tests before the return to classes on Monday. Many other districts are sending free rapid tests and encouraging -- but not mandating -- their use and many institutions across the country it’s facing supply constraints, to the point that several schools have canceled or delayed Monday classes.