New COVID-19 guidance came into effect on 24th February 2022 and will be updated on 1 April 2022. Full details can be found on the government website: www.gov.uk/covid-19 guidance-24/02/2022
Key points from this document are as follows:
- Children and young people with Covid-19 should not attend their education setting while they are infectious. They should take an LFD test from five days after their symptoms started (or the day their test was taken if they did not have symptoms) followed by another one the next day. If both these tests results are negative, they should return to their educational setting, as long as they feel well enough to do so and do not have a temperature.
- If you have any of the main symptoms of Covid-19 (a recent onset of a new continuous cough; a high temperature; or a loss of, or change in, your normal sense of taste or smell) you should order a PCR test. You are advised to stay at home and avoid contact with other people while you wait for the test result.
- If you test positive, you should continue to stay at home and avoid contact with other people until you have two negative LFD test results.
- If you can, you should let people who you have been in close contact with know about your positive test result.
- Children and young people who live with someone who has Covid-19 should continue to attend their education setting as normal.
There is no longer a legal requirement for people with coronavirus (COVID-19) infection to self-isolate, however if you have any of the main symptoms of COVID-19 or a positive test result, the public health advice is to stay at home and avoid contact with other people.
The requirement for twice weekly testing for students has ended and the academy will no longer be receiving free test packs to hand out. Currently, you can still get test packs free from the NHS here: https://www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests.