Covid cases rise in schools, but North Carolina has found a way to help stop that. Starting next week, eleven Wake County schools will open up free Covid testing for staff and students at those schools. This will help stop the spread of covid in schools and possibly open new ideas of starting to modify mask mandates at school. 

  The schools have partnered with Mako Medical staff and they will be coming in to conduct these tests. Students under the age of eighteen will need a parent to register them to be able to get this test. Cotton swabs will be used for testing and in groups of two to six, the sample will be sent to the lab to get results. If the results are positive the next day, the school will test individually and if someone is positive they will have to quarantine. 

  Testing is optional but the county is strongly encouraging families to participate so that schools can limit the transmission of the virus. Only a few schools have it, but the county has further plans of having it at more schools in the near future.