Enhancements to our required and voluntary surveillance testing program

New testing station announced as we switch to rapid antigen testing for all surveillance testing.

Feb. 2, 2022

As announced in last week’s campus update, Kamehameha Hawaiʻi is evolving our testing strategy, primarily by moving away from the use of the ShieldT3 Saliva Testing kit for both voluntary and required weekly testing, unless deemed medically necessary by a physician. Starting February 7, all KS-sponsored testing will be conducted via rapid antigen testing, currently provided by Premier Medical Group (PMG).

To assist this change, Kamehameha Hawaiʻi will be adding a testing station on Monday mornings from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. at Hāʻaeamahi Dining Hall on the stage side for elementary and middle school students participating in testing. The Lunalilo Hale Testing Station will continue to be available with normal hours daily, with Monday mornings dedicated to high school students participating in testing. A calendar with hours and locations and adjustments made for holidays is available and will be adjusted as needs arise.

All testers should pre-register and create an account with PMG. To do so, visit https://pmg.app.perseus.id/div/ks and follow the steps. A QR code will be generated that testers will show to the testing station to scan in and connect their test results to their account and be sent to the cell phone number designated on that account.

Surveillance testing is available to all Kamehameha Hawaiʻi students and employees, regardless of vaccination status. All Kamehameha Schools Hawaiʻi students in grades 6-12 are required to test weekly on the first day they are on campus, though can be exempted from the requirement by registering proof of being fully vaccinated or a 90-day exemption following a COVID-19 positive test result. Student athletes competing under a religious or medical exemption to a vaccination mandate to compete in BIIF league games are required to show two negative test results conducted 72 hours prior to competition.

The move away from the Shield T3 test is driven by the omicron variant and what we have learned about how transmissible it is and the lifecycle of the virus, which adjusted guidelines around quarantine and isolation.

The saliva kits take 2-3 days from when they are turned in to when results are processed vs. a rapid antigen test in which results are known within 15 minutes.
With testing happening on the first day of the week, this will reduce exposure periods for close contact. Reducing the exposure period ultimately means less close contacts, less students impacted by quarantines or high risk activity restrictions, preserving in-person learning.
Processing of saliva results can also delay notifications or can happen late into the night. By having testing occur at the beginning of the week, and beginning of the first day, notifications can be timely when results are known right away.
Contaminated, mislabeled, or unlabeled samples will not be an issue with the PMG rapid antigen testing.

Please continue to report any POSITIVE COVID-19 cases detected through off-site or self-administered tests or email household exposure questions to our COVID-19 response team (covid19help@ksbe.edu).

ALTERNATIVE ARRANGEMENTS FOR REQUIRED TESTING

For students participating in required weekly surveillance testing who do not wish to use the PMG testing service provided, another option is to make your own arrangements to meet the weekly requirement and submit your test result in lieu of testing on-site. Tests must be observed and conducted by a CLIA-approved medical or community provider, rather than a home-kit. Test results must be submitted by the first day the student is on campus so the test result is accounted for the weekly check.

MEDICAL EXEMPTION TO NASAL TESTING

If your healthcare provider has deemed your keiki unable to utilize nasal swab testing, a doctor’s evaluation form may be filed with your keiki’s health room to find a suitable alternative, which may include continuing to utilize the Shield T3 test kits until an alternative is approved.

Weekly surveillance testing was a recommendation in the Hawaiʻi Department of Health's guidance for schools when community conditions include moderate to high transmission rate of COVID-19 and is a layer of protection which allows for early detection when completed consistently. Knowing earlier allows for the use of therapeutics in treatment of severe cases, and for ʻohana to take additional precautions sooner rather than later. If community conditions change, KS may alter the testing program as recommended by public health experts, and evaluation of our own safety experts. Any changes will be communicated as soon as they are finalized.

Mahalo for your resilience as we continue to make our way through this pandemic. While testing is an important reactive measure, remember that the most important things are proactive - wearing masks correctly and consistently, keeping distance, and listening to your symptoms and not coming to school or work when you have symptoms. Especially if you were recently a close contact of another case. By taking care of our kauhale and embracing this kuleana, we can find a path out of this, stronger together.

No appointments are required. Please stop by anytime during testing hours. Results for rapid antigen testing are available in approximately 15 minutes via text message.