Advice to all – Daily testing for contacts of Covid-19

Dear Parent /Carer

We have been advised by Public Health England to inform you of the latest updates for contacts of Covid–19.

A new national approach to daily testing for contacts of COVID–19 is being introduced. All adults who are fully vaccinated and children aged 5 to 18 years and 6 months, identified as a contact of someone with COVID–19 – whether Omicron or not – should take a lateral flow device (LFD) test every day for 7 days instead of self–isolating. Daily testing by close contacts will help to slow the spread of COVID–19.

Once notified by NHS Test and Trace as a close contact, pupils should take an LFD each day for 7 days and report the results through the NHS Online Reporting System and to the school’s system, Test Register. If they test negative, they can continue to attend their education setting.

If they test positive, they should self–isolate and order a PCR test to confirm the result. If the PCR is positive, they must self–isolate for 10 days. If the PCR test is negative, they no longer need to self–isolate but should continue to carry out the remainder of the daily tests, and only need to isolate if it is positive.

Daily testing for contacts of COVID–19 will help protect education settings by reducing transmission and will also help keep pupils in face–to–face education.

Finally, it is important to continue regular twice weekly, at–home testing for all education and childcare workforce and all students of secondary age and above.

Further Information

Further information is available at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus–covid–19/

Yours sincerely
John McKee
Headteacher