The Boston Red Sox and the Major League Baseball organization are partnering with the city of Boston to offer COVID-19 testing to Boston Public School teachers.

Each week through December, members of the Boston Teachers Union will be randomly invited to receive testing – 5 percent of membership each week - at a site near Fenway Park, home to the Boston Red Sox, and elsewhere. The initial focus will be on testing of teachers working in neighborhoods with COVID-19 rates higher than 8 percent, which is double the citywide threshold of concern.

The city Public Health Commission is implementing the testing using saliva collection kits provided through Major League Baseball’s community testing program.

Boston Schools Superintendent Brenda Cassellius hailed the effort in a news release, saying “our schools are the hubs of our community and we are taking every precaution to keep Bostonians safe and healthy.”

“This testing is one way we can support our teachers as they get ready to head back to their classrooms for in-person learning,” Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said in a statement.

Red Sox President Sam Kennedy said the effort was an extension of the league’s testing program “beyond the clubs and players and into the communities where the teams operate.” 

In addition, the Red Sox along with the Boston Pride women’s hockey team and JetBlue Airlines are contributing 60,000 masks to Boston students and teachers. The district previously purchased 200,000 reusable masks and two million disposable masks, according to masslive.com.

The Boston school system opened the school year using all-remote instruction with plans to move to a hybrid model, in which students learn at least two days a week in school, plus remote learning, for families that want that option. High-needs students were to be the first to return for in-person learning. 

The union represents more than 10,000 teachers and other school professionals.