Reassurance for parents over Covid in schools

So far at least two schools have been directly affected by cases.

In a letter sent out yesterday, head teachers provided an update on the work between Public Health and the Education Office to ensure appropriate measures were in place to help mitigate the risk of Covid-19 cases in education settings.

It clarified that in most circumstances, the contacts of a positive case would be limited to staff and students who have shared a classroom with the person during lessons.

The official note also stated that contacts of staff and students who have tested positive for the virus will receive a note from Dr Nicola Brink, the director of Public Health.

‘This letter will be sent to you from the school and it will contain information and guidance on the steps we would ask you to take,’ the information from head teachers said.

‘The intention of Public Health is to keep students in school who have been identified as contacts of a positive case, to avoid disruption to their education, as long as they do not have Covid-19 symptoms and carry out lateral flow tests every morning before attending school for a 10-day period.’

Students identified as contacts of a positive case will also be asked not to attend any in-school or out of school activities, sports, or clubs during the 10-day testing period.

‘This is extra risk mitigation and is based on the priority being to keep your child in education so their learning is not disrupted. However, this will be reviewed in the first week of October once the impact of the opening of schools has been assessed,’ the letter said. The advice was specifically for students identified as a contact through an education setting.

The States said that if anyone is identified as a contact of Covid-19 in other ways, the Public Health contact tracing team would provide advice based on each circumstance.

‘We have prepared for the likelihood of cases across the islands and in our schools. However, we are committed to limiting the impact of the virus on the education of the Bailiwick’s children and young people,’ the States said.

Parents were reminded additionally not to send students to school with any symptoms of Covid-19.