Gov. Daniel McKee acknowledged that many people are frustrated with long waits for tests, and long turnaround times: 'We can do a lot better.'
The state has hired a second lab to accelerate testing and to turn PCR tests around more quickly, and a third one will be brought online to get testing turnaround times down to 48 hours, officials said. Testing sites will also be open on New Year's Day rather than stay closed for the holiday, he said. Rapid tests are also being distributed to high-risk areas.
Several protestors could be heard at some points outside the briefing shouting and blowing air horns.The governor also said that there are no plans to delay the start of school reopenings after the holiday break and no plans to switch to remote learning, although some districts"may take a phased approach" to bringing students back into classrooms.
For example, students in the Providence public schools will return to in-person learning after the holiday break on a staggered basis. The decision was made"with safety in mind and out of an abundance of caution," the district wrote in an email to parents Wednesday,Pre-K, kindergarten and grades 1, 6 and 9 are now scheduled to return on Jan. 3. Grades 2, 3, 7, 10, and 11 will return on Jan, 4, and grades 4, 5, 8, and 12 will return on Jan. 5.
The district, the state's largest with about 22,000 students, said all teachers and staff, regardless of the grade they work with, will be required to return in person for the first day of classes.
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