SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — The Seminole County School District said it’s trying to be proactive ahead of teachers and students returning Wednesday.

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On Monday, the district gave all school employees a free at-home test kit who wanted one.

Officials are asking staff to stay home if they feel sick.

READ: New COVID-19 testing site opens in Seminole County

The district gave away 7,000 kits they had available this morning. The hope is teachers and staff will take the test if they feel symptomatic and let them know before Wednesday, in case they may have to shift staff around.

The kits are not only for peace of mind, but to make sure employees who test positive stay home and quarantine for five days.

Last week, a little more than 17,000 people tested positive for COVID-19 in Seminole County. The positivity rate is nearly 23%.

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The district is encouraging staff and students to wear a mask for at least the month of January to get through the latest surge.

The test kits that weren’t given out will be distributed to the various schools in the district.

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Video: New COVID-19 testing site opens in Seminole County A new COVID-19 testing site will open in Seminole County on Monday. (Christy Turner, WFTV.com)

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