Community Update
November 10, 2020
Health and Safety Update
In addition, we have received guidance from San Diego County’s Public Health Officer letting us know that schools that have temporarily pivoted to virtual instruction may reopen their doors to in-person instruction. As a result, Madison Middle School, Rancho Minerva Middle School, and Roosevelt Middle School will reopen their doors to in-person instruction for Vista Classic students on Thursday, November 12th. Mission Vista High School and Vista High School will do the same on Monday, November 16th. We will continue using the threshold criteria that the school board established during the October 26, 2020 board meeting for secondary schools. This criteria includes pivoting to virtual learning if the secondary school has two or more positive cases on campus within the same 14 day period or three secondary schools pivoting to virtual learning if the three schools have one positive case each on campus within the same 14 day period. We will be discussing the new health update for San Diego County with the school board during the board meeting on Thursday, November 12, 2020.
PRESS RELEASE
New COVID-19 Testing Site in Vista
One of the most proactive health and safety mitigation measures all citizens can take to address the spread of COVID-19 is to get tested. Vista Unified has designed a four-layer approach to expand testing for our community. The first layer is to establish a testing cycle for all staff in the district. The second layer is to work with the Vista Community Clinic to provide our community members access to mobile testing throughout the city. The third layer is to participate in the UCSD Research study of wastewater detection at two of our elementary schools. The fourth layer is to collaborate with the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency to open a testing site in Vista. It is important to note that the test procedure uses a mid-turbinate that can be self-swabbed only halfway up the nose, so there is no significant discomfort.
We are proud to announce the opening of a COVID-19 Testing Site at the Linda Rhoades Recreation Center located at 600 North Santa Fe Avenue in Vista, starting on November 11, 2020, seven days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
This new testing site was made possible through a County - City - School District collaborative partnership facilitated by board members, Martha Alvarado and Cipriano Vargas, Assemblymember Tasha Boerner Horvath, City Council Member, Corinna Contreras, City Manager, Patrick Johnson, Vista Community Clinic CEO, Fernando Sanudo, and HHSA Director, Nick Macchione. Thanks to their great leadership and collaboration, all residents of the City of Vista, as well as surrounding cities, will have access to a testing facility seven days a week.
“I am very happy that I was able to collaborate with Council Member Corinna Contreras and Assemblymember Tasha Boerner Horvath as well as our community partners to resolve the lack of community access to COVID 19 testing. After discussing central locations within the school district, as well as the city of Vista, we agreed that the Linda Rhoades center would be able to accommodate many of our students, employees and families with 800 tests per day. This testing information will give us the data and statistics needed to take proactive steps against COVID 19. I am grateful for all of our community partners who participated in this necessary and important step for Vista Unified School District as well as the city of Vista.” - Martha Alvarado, School Board Member
“As we continue to have critical conversations on re-opening our schools, it is crucial that we have ongoing testing for our families. The Linda Rhoades Testing site will be a critical component for us to be proactive by identifying where we have positive cases in our community. Together we can help reduce the number of cases in our schools and community.” - Cipriano Vargas, School Board Member
“As Councilmember for District 1, I see the unique challenges COVID has introduced into our community. Many of the residents I speak with are concerned about a lack of access to testing. I am very thankful to have collaborated with our State Assemblymember Tasha Boerner Horvath, VUSD, and San Diego County Health & Human Services Department to bring a COVID testing site that fits our community's immediate need for a site easily accessible via walking and public transit. The Linda Rhoades Community Center off our North Santa Fe transit corridor will serve us well.” - Corinna Contreras, Vista City Council Member
“Vista Community Clinic is excited to be part of this very important partnership. We want to make sure that everyone that gets tested and has questions about their test results, is able to schedule an appointment to talk to a medical clinician by phone or video by calling us at 760-631-5000.” - Fernando Sanudo, CEO, Vista Community Clinic
"With the new surge of COVID-19 cases, it is critical that we expand access to walk-in, no cost testing in North County and particularly in Vista. That is why I am proud to work with the County of San Diego, City of Vista, and Vista Unified School District to make this new testing site happen. Testing is key to identifying, tracing, and treating the novel coronavirus. As your Assemblymember, I believe it is important that everyone in our community has access to testing to keep us all safe.” - Assemblymember Tasha Boerner Horvath
“The no-appointment testing that will be offered at this site is critical for identifying people who are positive for the virus and then helping them get treatment while we begin the contract tracing process,” said Nick Macchione, director of the County Health and Human Service Agency and T3, the county’s Test, Trace and Treat response to COVID-19. “I can’t say enough about the can-do public health commitment we have seen from the city of Vista, Vista Unified School District and Assemblymember Tasha Boerner Horvath in organizing this site. The best antidote to pandemics is population health leadership, where we hold a common vision of protecting the public’s health with collective action.” - Nick Macchione, Director, HHSA
In order for our community to combat this challenging pandemic and get students back to school, we all must work together to test, contact trace, and isolate. Vista Unified remains committed to working in collaboration with the community to find solutions and pathways for students to return to on-campus, in-person learning. We are all in this together.
Opening Date: November 11, 2020
Hours of Operation: Monday-Sunday, 8:30am-5:30pm
Who: all ages 6 mos+, insured and uninsured
Cost: free
Address: 600 N Santa Fe Ave, Vista, CA 92084
Website: 211sandiego.org
All testing sites will be open on Veterans Day (English flyer) (Spanish flyer)
Vista COVID-19 Testing Center
Vista Unified School District
Email: webmaster@vistausd.org
Website: vistausd.org
Location: 1234 Arcadia Avenue, Vista, CA, USA
Phone: (760) 726-2170
Twitter: @VistaBlueprint