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Whereas: The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has required all school districts in Massachusetts to prepare for the possibility of a fully in-person, fully remote, and hybrid return to school this fall; and

Whereas: Safety must be the first priority if school buildings are to be reopened; and

Whereas: While COVID-19 prevalence in Cambridge is low, the City is about to experience an influx of university students returning to campus at MIT, Lesley, and Harvard; and

Whereas: Current public health evidence is shifting away from the notion that children are less likely than adults to be infected with COVID-19 as studies are showing that those between the ages of 10-19 can carry high viral loads and transmit the virus at least as well as adults; and

Whereas: Experts from Massachusetts General Hospital and the Broad Institute state that surveillance testing is necessary in order to establish clear benchmarks that determine when scholars or cohorts are sent home as well as when buildings must close entirely and for how long; and

Whereas: Mathematical modeling from Harvard University shows that testing an entire school community once a week effectively eliminates outbreaks and testing an entire school community twice a week can prevent nearly all transmission; and

Whereas: The City of Cambridge has the capacity and technology to implement widespread and frequent non-invasive COVID-19 tests with a 15-20-minute turnaround time at its schools; and

Whereas: As COVID-19 will continue to affect us for a long time, in the absence of a vaccine, the City of Cambridge and Cambridge Public Schools must have a plan in place to make such testing available in schools; and

Whereas: Such testing should be made available to all staff and to all scholars, with an emphasis on those at the high school; now therefore be it

RESOLVED: That the Superintendent continue discussing with the City Manager, Cambridge Public Health Department and Broad Institute the feasibility of providing frequent testing for our Cambridge Public Schools staff and scholars; and further

RESOLVED: That the Superintendent provide an update on the feasibility and logistics of implementing testing at CPS locations by August 11, 2020 in order to provide ample time to prepare for the upcoming school year and keep our students and faculty safe.