Here, a laboratory robot was holding a well plate containing patients’ samples for SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing, using the CDC serologic test. (James Gathany/CDC 2020)

Free rapid COVID-19 tests will be available Thursday to all students in the Dublin Unified School District, district officials said.

The school district has received 13,000 antigen tests from the California Department of Public Health, making good on a promise by Gov. Gavin Newsom to help keep children in school this year.

Parents and guardians can pick up two tests for each student from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Dublin High School at 8151 Village Parkway in Dublin or Fallon Middle School at 3601 Kohnen Way in Dublin.

High school students who drive may pick up their own tests. Parents and guardians must either have their children with them or bring information with them linking their child to the school district.

Information could include a student ID, report card or a newsletter from the school, district officials said.

Parents and guardians are being asked to report both positive and negative test results to help county health officials track COVID-19 in the community. Tests results can be reported at https://my.primary.health/l/caschools.

COVID-19 testing is also being offered at the school district office until 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday this week. The office is located at 7471 Larkdale Ave. Testing begins each day at 7:45 a.m.

Children are not required to be tested to return to school, according to the school district.

If children do get tested, it would be ideal if they test three days before returning to school and the day before or the morning they return to school. Otherwise, it’s suggested that children are tested the day before or the morning they return to school.

Students who test positive are urged to get in touch with their doctor and the school right away.

Keith Burbank is currently a fulltime reporter covering Alameda County and Oakland news for Bay City News. He has also worked on the Data Points project for Local News Matters, finding trends and stories about the region through data. In 2019, he was a California Fellow at the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism, producing a series about homeless deaths in Santa Clara County. He worked as a swing shift editor for the newswire for several years as well. Outside of journalism, Keith enjoys computer programming, math, economics and music.