The Roaring Fork School District is entering its second week of offering COVID-19 tests to faculty members.

Since the testing process is still fairly new, Public Information Officer Kelsy Been writes in an email, that the district considers itself to still be in a monitoring phase. The saliva PCR tests are provided for free by rfvcovidtests.com to the district or staff members. Amy Littlejohn, the district’s human resources director, writes in an email that 360 faculty members have signed up for tests.

“Clinic staff from rfvcovidtest.com drop off prelabeled cups to every school to collect saliva specimens on the designated testing time/day (each school has one designated testing window per week) and then pick up the specimens at the end of the testing window. Staff self administer the test as soon as they arrive onsite in the morning,” Littlejohn writes.

Although only 360 staff members are taking the tests as of now, Littlejohn wrote that the option is available to every staff member within RFSD, should they want to get tested. Superintendent Rob Stein writes that in addition to the tests, faculty is still being encouraged to follow COVID-19 protocols and stay vigilant especially if they are showing symptoms or may have been exposed to the virus. Stein also writes that the district is working with its public health partners on plans for vaccine distribution, but as of now that timeline is still unclear.

“At this time, we do not yet know when our staff will have access. We plan to handle all of the logistics (i.e., sign-ups, scheduling, coverage, etc.) so that it’s easy for staff to get the shot when it’s our turn, but we do not yet know exactly what this will look like and continue to work with our public health partners on these sorts of logistics,” Stein writes.

Aside from the faculty tests, there are testing options currently available to all Roaring Fork students. Stein writes that the district is weighing the pros and cons between tests and looking into how to make tests available to students in order to streamline the process for families.

“First of all, people should know that there are already testing options that are available to all…We have learned a lot from the first week of staff testing, and we are pursuing a student testing option that builds on the lessons we have learned…The one we prefer is a rapid test that would be free for students and administered at home, and we are working with the state to make that available,” Stein writes.

Littlejohn writes that feedback from faculty participating in the PCR saliva tests so far has been gratitude towards having the option. In addition to this, there have been reports concerning how long it takes to collect a saliva sample and the turnaround time on results.

“The process entails going outside, coughing three times, spitting into a jar seven times, and accumulating a specified amount of saliva. Some have noted that it’s more difficult and time-consuming than they had expected to produce enough saliva for the specimen,” Littlejohn writes.

jpeterson@postindependent.com