COVID-19 testing expanded for all teachers in Mississippi

Governor Tate Reeves launched new COVID-19 initiatives to ensure the health and well-being of students and teachers as they return to school.

- governor tate reeves launched - new covid-19 initiatives to - ensure the health and well-bein- of students and - teachers as they return to- school.

- governor reeves is expanding- covid-19 testing for- all mississippi teachers, even- for those without - symptoms, and emergency - telehealth coverage - through the mississippi divisio- of medicaid - dom - to include schools.

- this expanded testing for - teachers will enable them to- get tested at any point, even i- they have not exhibited - symptoms of covid-19 or come in- close contact with a known- case.

- governor reeves worked with - executive director drew - snyder to help boost efforts to- protect students, - enabling schools without school- nurses or school-based- clinics to access telehealth- services.

- - "this change to the division of medicaid- emergency telehealth policy, an- school can serve as the - originating site as long- as there is a telepresenter tha- is present for the encounter- between - the beneficiary and the distanc- site healthcare provider.

- telepresenters can- - - - include registered nurses - employed by school district or- staff employed by - community clinic.

This allows - those community providers to- build connections - with their local schools and- supply telepresenters as the- need arrises.

Our - hope is that this new policy- will increase the liklihood tha- children can get more timely- and efficient care without- having to leave the school and- without creating- - - - additional burdens on parents o- the schools themselves."

- - - the amended emergency telehealt- policy allows - any school to serve as the- originating site as long as the- distant site provider uses a- telepresenter who meets the - definition