Case Studies

In order to support Governor Carney’s encouragement that all Delaware schools re-open in person by January 11, testing resources were made available at schools and a new state dashboard, tracking in-school contagious cases, was created. School districts were supported in making arrangements for in-school testing of students and staff if desired, with introductions to qualified vendors facilitated by the Delaware Emergency Management Agency. Some schools test multiple days per week; others may test weekly, monthly, or for special events such as prom or return to school following holidays or vacations.

As an example, Mako Medical Laboratories has been providing on-site, full turn- key testing for the Delaware school system since October 2020. Ongoing daily, weekly and/or monthly testing events are conducted at more than 35 school and community locations, totaling over 20,000 tests for students, faculty, staff and family members throughout all school districts in Delaware.

Once the schools designate the frequency of testing and a testing location such as a gym or cafeteria, registration links, registration form templates, and a basic email outlining the testing process is provided for the school to send to students, parents and/or staff. The contractor provides basic equipment if needed (tables, chairs, trash cans) as well as testing staff and supplies. Multiple testing stations are set up, based on expected testing volume, and students and staff who are pre-registered are moved to a fast queue.