The government have fucked up the re-opening of schools

[noblegiraffe]

They have, haven't they?

Back in June their five tests for reopening schools were:

First we must protect the NHS’s ability to cope, and be sure that it can continue to provide critical care and specialist treatment right across the whole of the United Kingdom.

Second, we need to see daily death rates from coronavirus coming down.

Third, we need to have reliable data that shows the rate of infection is decreasing to manageable levels.

Four, we need to be confident that testing capacity and PPE is being managed, with supply able to meet, not just today’s demand, but future demand.

And fifth, and perhaps most crucially, we need to be confident that any changes we do make will not risk a second peak of infections.

I'm pretty sure I know the reason for not reminding people of those five tests this time round, but particularly test 4 - capacity within the testing system.

I was listening to the radio today about how the lack of testing is damaging the NHS's capacity to reopen services as nurses with symptoms cannot get tests and therefore cannot return to work. The same goes for schools - if teachers cannot get tests, either for themselves or for family members with symptoms, then they cannot go to work. This has been the case even with priority referrals.

There also seems to be utter chaos around who gets sent home when there is a positive test. Some schools are sending home a year group, others close contacts. Teachers often have no idea if they'll be sent home if one of their pupils tests positive.

But surely the government are tracking cases in schools carefully? No, it turns out they're not even storing that data. schoolsweek.co.uk/its-official-dfe-doesnt-know-how-many-schools-have-covid-cases

And a survey suggests that covid protection measures in some schools are poor. www.tes.com/news/third-teachers-lack-soap-and-water-school

So with an abysmal test and trace system, less than adequate measures to prevent the spread, and a department that isn't on top of its brief we can expect more disruption to come.

Even if your own kids' school is fine so far, parents really shouldn't be happy with this state of affairs, particularly the lack of testing capacity that will mean children will be out of school or missing a teacher unnecessarily.

YABU: The government have done a sterling job
YANBU: The government have not done a sterling job

Schools aren't allowed to ask for proof of a negative test.

Fuck knows why, but it's in the guidelines.

Mine has asked for proof. To be honest I don’t mind providing it.

We are insisting on it, guidelines or not.

@noblegiraffe

What I found interesting about the English government not excluding children from the Rule of 6 is the tacit admittance that children may be a factor in spreading covid.

Which is something that has been firmly denied up till now.

And the PM admitted it today. CV is readily transmissible between children and adults. Which is a bit of a problem if you've not put in place any safety measures for teachers, isn't it?

Wow!

news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-children-should-stay-at-school-until-there-is-a-positive-test-in-their-bubble-pm-says-12073421

Coronavirus: Children should stay at school until there is a positive test in their bubble, PM says

Schools are struggling to cope with a lack of COVID-19 tests for pupils and staff, a teaching union leader has warned.

Wednesday 16 September 2020 17:07, UK

That's not new, Res, otherwise there wouldn't be any kids in school right now. Loads of kids out there currently waiting for test results.

Some are campaigning for kids to stay at school even if there's a positive result in a bubble.

@ResIpsaLoquiturInterAlia

Wow!

news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-children-should-stay-at-school-until-there-is-a-positive-test-in-their-bubble-pm-says-12073421

Coronavirus: Children should stay at school until there is a positive test in their bubble, PM says

Schools are struggling to cope with a lack of COVID-19 tests for pupils and staff, a teaching union leader has warned.

Wednesday 16 September 2020 17:07, UK

That’s correct?

One child goes home and rest stay in until positive test returned.

Person questioning him on LBC got confused and said bubble goes home whilst waiting for test. Which he corrected.

Surprised the journalist didn’t know

[quote Clavinova]All schools were given 10 tests. Ours are nearly gone.

DfE website;

"Schools and FE providers should order additional test kits if they have run out or are running out of test kits."

"From 16 September, you can order additional tests kits online. Kits will be supplied in boxes of 10."

"You will be able to make a new order for test kits 21 days after you receive a delivery confirmation email telling you that your previous supply of test kits has been sent."

www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-home-test-kits-for-schools-and-fe-providers/coronavirus-covid-19-home-test-kits-for-schools-and-fe-providers[/quote]
So you get 10 tests for a school of 1500 pupils.

You have to make them last approx 4 weeks because you can only order every 3. And you have to rely on delivery actually happening when they email to say it's dispatched. And Bh that I mean happening immediately not delivered weeks after.

So really it's only possible to use 2 of those tests per week to keep supply continuous.

It would have been better to give greater number of tests to schools for those families who cannot travel etc to test centre.

This is exactly what some of us were so worried about a few weeks ago. We were in a minority then - there were lots of comments calling us paranoid, bad parents for considering temporarily home educating, and I really wish that what we were concerned about wasn't happening now.
It's a disaster, absolute negligence by the government for the health of teaching staff, pupils and the whole community. I feel for everyone desperate for a test at the moment.

But hey, perhaps it's gone so wrong because they've been working so hard on getting a seamless Brexit going....
Oh.

It would have been better to give greater number of tests to schools for those families who cannot travel etc to test centre.

This. My sister's child needs a test so she had to drive 75 miles to get one, that means he is out of school and so is she so that's 30 children without an adult in the class with them unless the school can find and afford a supply teacher for the day.

@ResIpsaLoquiturInterAlia

Wow!

news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-children-should-stay-at-school-until-there-is-a-positive-test-in-their-bubble-pm-says-12073421

Coronavirus: Children should stay at school until there is a positive test in their bubble, PM says

Schools are struggling to cope with a lack of COVID-19 tests for pupils and staff, a teaching union leader has warned.

Wednesday 16 September 2020 17:07, UK

Well yes. 5 children out of 12 in ds's class (9 out of bubble) off with symptoms, but none tested. 4 medically vulnerable children in that bubble (including ds)

This was in the guidelines, but obviously has different implications if no one can get tests.

Its easy for some saying 'EVERY CHILD SHOULD BE IN!' I get that not every kid can be home educated, I really do, but something big has to be done!
If you had seen the damage it has done to my nephew, and he cannot be alone, then you wouldn't say that.
The coughing hasn't stopped, it took 4 weeks to get a test, he tested positive, they then said 'You can get a false positive if the virus is still there'
Anyway, was told he was fine for school despite the fact he really coughs hard and for ages, second day in, teacher rings up saying he should be home, he's upsetting the other kids because of the cough, he's been crying in the cloak-room because the kids were chanting corona corona at him, he is now panic stricken because a friend of the family died of the virus, and while they have not tried to frighten the kids by being over explanatory, of course kids know things are not right and he thinks he is going to die, despite my sil being a Nurse and being amazing at how she talks to kids, he will believe what he wants, he's a stubborn little devil, and gets anxious easily.
He is bloody traumatised.
He's not going back.
I blame the govt but also those who voted this useless shower of incompetant buffers in again.
Johnson will be gone by January I reckon, mates pockets lined, while we are still trying to start to unpick the mess that daft duffer has made of this Country...

Even if they can get a test, the results aren't coming back fast.

Yep it’s a total mess. I’m NHS frontline currently at home isolating as my daughter has a cold accompanied by a cough. There are 70 members of staff in the same position at my trust alone. The NHS will end up dangerously short staffed over winter if this continues.

Basically, they don't want children getting tested. It's pretty clear that there is an agenda here.

I am loving the children back at primary school despite a half year break. No doom and gloom lost education nor psychological damage to report as all children doing well as if nothing strange happened this year. My child's school in central London is seemingly fine despite just hands of the Covid smart hands, face, space and trace. No NHS tests remaining in London for some time until it eventually (despite "news censorship") made it to news media as finally publicly acknowledged very very recently despite initial denials. I have been advised (by some cheeky medic mates!) one possible trick to get a sniff of a test in London is to (fraudulently!) use an Aberdeen residential post code? Obviously there is no use of any PPE or even face shields or masks by adult staff nor children. Although many teachers and pupils were wearing masks in the first week back last week but just hand sanitiser and constant hand washing now.

So basically there is common place official acceptance that Covid, without compulsory constant repeat rapid accurate testing (as with other viral illnesses), will be incubated, brought in and spread among any indoor mass gathering with no social distancing day in day out. Young age only assist recovery not guaranteed against Covid fatality but obviously when grandma and or grandpa collects uoubg child from school (though visually lovely to see if not for Covid) is a potentially disastrous possibility.

Currently London news now suggesting possibility of Belgium style daily evening curfews to stabilise London R rate hikes but keeping schools and workplaces open.

My DD is off school as she has a cold and loss of sense of smell/taste. We were lucky to be able to get a test on day 3 but She will have missed a week at least of school by the time we get the results. It's going to cause massive disruption as teachers will constantly be playing catch up with all the kids who've missed lessons

Indeed @duffeldaisy This drives me nuts. Current situation was completely predicted by people here, you will think people that are actually paid to govern would too...
It is like sending a bunch of inflatable boats full of holes out. People that point out the boat is filling with water, are pessimists. Boats keep going down, and the government just say: be positive this time. And never, never dare say "i told you so", learning is for nerds!

We Need as PARENTS To Pull together and FORCE THE GOVERNMENT to REPEAT THE YEAR!! Children are off school due to outbreaks, and coughs and Runny noses but NOT KNOWING PROTOCOL, CHILDREN Are being overwhelmed by going back to school and having to see big changes and NOT everyone complying thus leaving CHILDREN SCARED . We need to be PARENTS protecting our CHILDRENS MENTAL HEALTH!! Not SHEEP Following Guidelines that are Put together by IDIOTS!! THINK OF YOUR CHILDRENS WELLBEING!!!

We currently have two children at home isolating as we haven’t been able to get any tests booked. My Year 4 now seems fine (just had a high temp/blocked nose on Monday so suspect cold). Year 11 high temp, loss of taste, cough & trouble breathing from Sunday & still not better today so possibly Covid. Would like a test to find out either way, if he is positive he could have spread far & wide but at this rate we will never know as we will have finished isolating before we can get a test! Disgusted they seem to have abolished the drive/walk through option..the website is a joke, keeps crashing & the 119 call centre is a waste of money & resources when all they tell you to do is keep trying to book online!!

I'm so sorry to hear about your nephew @Carriecakes80

My son showed 2 symptoms and was distressed so I somehow managed to get him a test. He is much better today. However we are now on day 3 of waiting for the results to come back. My daughter who has just started year 7 is having to stay home too though no symptoms. It’s a bloody disgrace that we have to wait so long for results. I’ve been told tomorrow I can put in a missing results form so I’ve potentially put my son through an unnecessary test and will still have to isolate for the remainder of the 14 days. And my daughter is missing her 2nd week of secondary school!!!

@noblegiraffe

Schools aren't allowed to ask for proof of a negative test.

Fuck knows why, but it's in the guidelines.

Our school is asking for proof either way so that's not right

Here's the bit from the guidance.