Covid measures in schools ‘right ones in local context’

Director of education Nick Hynes said that Guernsey’s measures were right in the local context.

There will be no routine testing in Guernsey after the Easter break.

But students and staff are being encouraged to take a lateral flow test if they are symptomatic. If the first test is negative, they are asked to stay at home and repeat after 24 hours.

If they are the household contact of a positive case, they are asked to LFT for seven days. Non-household contacts do not need to test unless symptomatic, which aligns with wider community guidance.

All students and staff are also asked to take a LFT the day before they return to school after Easter and another on the day of return.

If they are positive, they are asked to notify the States online or by telephone and to stay at home for 10 days, with early release if asymptomatic and LFT negative from day five and again 24 hours later.

The States has said it was voluntary, but was ‘asking the community to work together to keep everyone safe’.

In England, the guidance has said that attending education is ‘hugely important’ for children for their health and future.

It has also stated that youngsters with mild symptoms, such as a runny nose, sore throat or slight cough, who are otherwise well, can continue to attend their education setting.

‘Children and young people who are unwell and have a high temperature should stay at home and avoid contact with other people, where they can. They can go back to school, college or childcare, and resume normal activities, when they no longer have a high temperature and they are well enough to attend,’ stated the England advice.

The same information also does not recommend that children and young people are tested for Covid unless directed to by a health professional.

‘If a child or young person has a positive Covid-19 test result they should try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for three days after the day they took the test, if they can.

‘After three days, if they feel well and do not have a high temperature, the risk of passing the infection on to others is much lower.

'This is because children and young people tend to be infectious to other people for less time than adults.’

Asked about the differences in approach, Mr Hynes said: ‘Throughout the pandemic the States has taken a Bailiwick approach to managing the implications of Covid.

‘We’ve done the same in Education, linking in very closely with colleagues in Public Health.

‘As such any mitigations or measures brought in are designed to suit our local context in the same way that measures brought in across England are designed to suit theirs.’