Teachers of infected students not required to self-isolate.

[NebularNerd]

More than one positive case at a local school.

The teachers of these students are not being required to self-isolate.

As a teacher, you can be in a room with an infected individual for at least an hour, with no mask and closer than two metres, and you aren't considered to be at risk.

And yet, if you encounter the same individual anywhere else, the NHS app will suit hat you self-isolate

Teachers are being thrown under the bus so that schools can remain open.

[Mogtheforgetfulmum]

Secondary here. I know I've taught at least 6 students who have gone on to test positive that week. However, I have no idea now as we're no longer even being told if a student in our class has tested positive.

I've had hoy come into my classroom and remove students with no explanation only to later find out their sibling has tested positive. I've also found out students I have taught that week have tested positive through the register or from other students/staff. We're being told that we must be 2m away from students at all times and so if a student tests positive we're not considered a close contact, despite having spent at least an hour in a room with them with no PPE/mask.

I'm almost impressed I don't appear to have caught it yet.

[Mogtheforgetfulmum]

To be fair I don't think any of the blame lies with my school. They've been put in this impossible situation by the government.

[Ecosse]

To be frank schools would not be open for much longer if teachers had to isolate every role a positive test occurs in their class.

We need to get away from this idea that COVID is an instant death sentence. Clinically severely vulnerable staff and students should be told they can stay at home but other than that I would actually stop testing in school settings except where there is a vulnerable parent at home.

Schools need to stay open and the current isolation procedure every time a classmate gets the sniffles is over the top.

[monkeytennis97]

@Ecosse

To be frank schools would not be open for much longer if teachers had to isolate every role a positive test occurs in their class.

We need to get away from this idea that COVID is an instant death sentence. Clinically severely vulnerable staff and students should be told they can stay at home but other than that I would actually stop testing in school settings except where there is a vulnerable parent at home.

Schools need to stay open and the current isolation procedure every time a classmate gets the sniffles is over the top.

But it's not over the top when there are former shielding members of staff who haven't been out for months and then have to teach classes in stuffy rooms, no SD, no masks....former shielding kids and parents and then the CV ones (as I was in March before I lost stones of weight) too. Schools and education settings are driving the spread of the virus.

[noblegiraffe]

They don’t isolate for a classmate getting ‘the sniffles’. FFS. Stop being a dismissive bellend about it. Lots of people have vulnerable parents/family members and it’s not just the kids.

[PracticingPerson]

I would actually stop testing in school settings this may happen, but not because it is sensible, just because we've got a shut testing system.

Not testing is dangerous because then you lose sight of the virus.

But the UK has messed it up.

[monkeytennis97]

Once again I get emotional in my response and @noblegiraffe comes in with the logic

[PracticingPerson]

A shit testing system. Sick of being censored by autocorrect!

[AutumnleavesturntoGold]

Ecosse, so many other things become so much more dangerous though when you can't access medical help.
Not being able to breathe is major, hospitals crammed to the gunnels with people not breathing is a major crisis!. Other things get pushed sideways as we know! People will die from the covid for silly reasons and... From other things for silly reasons purely due to... Volume.

[wondersun]

@NebularNerd

And yes, those teachers will be bringing it home to their families, and so the spread continues.

Why aren't the media reporting on this? Where are the unions?

I can't think of another job where this would be the case.

I’m just so sorry, completely agree, this shouldn’t be the case. It’s literally criminal.

[monkeytennis97]

Thank you @wondersun

[monkeytennis97]

@woodlands01

I am at my wits end:

Specific instructions from SLT that break their own risk assessment regarding students in corridors. Pointed out, no reponse.

Extra duties that mean no lunch time - sorted by allocating PPA before or after - but you are asking me to take my lunch in PPA? No response.

Students taking absolutely NO notice of the requirement to keep 2m from staff - but you've got a mask on Miss - that protects you not me.

Students doing no work so I have to circulate to keep them on task. OK I don't but it means the learning atmosphere in the room is affected. Last week I emailed every parent of every student I felt forced me to do this detailing the health and safety risk. No response from any parent.

Can not remove students from classrooms due to inability to mix class bubbles.
I am thinking sending every student who is doing no work to the pastoral office this week and see what happens.

Students do not clean desk properly. Parents complain. We are told off. I clean the desks myself now, 7 times a day. At least the students do not ask me about clean desks - they know not too. After day 1 and my hand stinging from exposure to cheap consortium cleaning spray I now wear rubber gloves (bought myself).

But the parents are happy - their children are in school and behaving perfectly because no teacher has any time to log bad behavior [smiley]

Just seen this. SPOT ON.

[DBML]

So, this afternoon a child was taken from my class. He’d been sat right at the very front. He was collected from school as his dad had to have a COVID test, so mum came to pick him up.

Less than 3 hours later, I’m shopping in Tesco, when guess who I see with his parents.

That’s reality.

[Cookiecrisps]

@Ecosse

To be frank schools would not be open for much longer if teachers had to isolate every role a positive test occurs in their class.

We need to get away from this idea that COVID is an instant death sentence. Clinically severely vulnerable staff and students should be told they can stay at home but other than that I would actually stop testing in school settings except where there is a vulnerable parent at home.

Schools need to stay open and the current isolation procedure every time a classmate gets the sniffles is over the top.

This is ridiculous. Testing is vital to track the spread of the virus and to isolate positive cases. The failure of the testing system is something the government should be sorting as top priority. Instead people are blaming the general public / schools/ parents for wasting tests.

Schools will shut if there is no testing and Covid spreads to staff. There will be whole departments teaching using supply, TAs and cover supervisors until they’ve burnt through these staff too or the supply budget which is non existent in my school in normal times. (These staff are amazing but it’s not the same as having the regular teacher planning, teaching and assessing the learning.) Not enough staff = school closures. If staff get long Covid then students will suffer too. Schools should be open safely not at all costs to students, parents, staff and the wider community.

[HerdyGerdy]

@DBML

So, this afternoon a child was taken from my class. He’d been sat right at the very front. He was collected from school as his dad had to have a COVID test, so mum came to pick him up.

Less than 3 hours later, I’m shopping in Tesco, when guess who I see with his parents.

That’s reality.

Beautiful. It’s this idiotic behaviour that causes cases but we’re blamed instead.

[Whatshouldicallme]

@Ecosse

I genuinely wonder what you think should happen? We have missed the opportunity to control the small numbers we were seeing a couple of months ago with T&T. We are not far behind where we were in the second wave. Do you genuinely think schools should carry on like this? If so, what do you suggest we do to prevent hospitals becoming overwhelmed so that if one of those children falls down a flight of stairs or ends up in a car accident on the way to school they can have treatment? Genuinely wondering as I don't want schools to shut either but I don't think they can continue as they are.

[Ecosse]

@Whatshouldicallme

What I think should happen is that we continue with the current restrictions, support and fund those who are genuinely vulnerable to shield (it is beyond me that shielders are being expected to attend work and school) and get a proper test and trace system working.

I’d also like to see NHS staff put on flexible contracts allowing them to be transferred around the country where needed. We cannot have nurses sitting idle in Plymouth who could be staffing Birmingham nightingale.

These measures would in combination her us through the winter.

[PracticingPerson]

We have no nurses 'sitting idle' anywhere, we are 40,000+ nurses short nationally.

We can only propose solutions that are based on the reality of our starting point.

We cannot redeploy resources that don't exist www.nursingtimes.net/news/workforce/nhs-workforce-being-hollowed-out-by-registered-nurse-shortages-28-11-2019/

[Barbie222]

I’d also like to see NHS staff put on flexible contracts allowing them to be transferred around the country where needed.

I'm not a nurse but I can imagine a lot of reasons why this wouldn't work. How many people do you know who could be this flexible? Maybe the military? Most people can't be redeployed in this way.

[Whatshouldicallme]

How would you suggest identifying these vulnerable people who will qualify for shielding? And what guidance/support would they receive? 2.2 million people were identified as CEV by the NHS, and that does not include people who are "just" vulnerable. Surely we can't expect 2.2+ million people to stay locked away in their homes, isolating even from those in their own households (husbands, wives, children) as was recommended in the first wave, for an indefinite period? Do we actually expect CEV parents to isolate from their children? How exactly would this work long term? What about people living in households where it physically isn't even possible (single parents, not enough bedrooms, etc).? And what would happen to the many others who are "just" vulnerable but not CEV?

Who are these idle nurses and where would they come from? As previous posters have pointed out, I don't get the impression they exist, especially come the winter season. NHS Trusts across the country sound at breaking point during a normal flu season, even pre-COVID. And in your plan to let COVID spread through the population (even if the CEV group could magically be protected), every trust would also be facing additional pressures from COVID.

As other have also pointed out NHS staff are also people, with feelings, families, and their own struggles. What makes you think most nurses would be able to drop anything for redeployment across the country? Do you know any NHS workers? The only nurse I know is married to another NHS worker and they have two small children. Is it not enough that during the first wave they both needed to go to work on alternating shifts to look after record numbers of sick and dying patients in the midst of a devestating global pandemic, under immense pressures, with limited supplies of PPE, whilst putting their own and their family's health on the line? Is it realistic to tell them they will now need to do this all again, but whilst moving round the country separated from their own family, colleagues, and support systems, whilst leaving their children with....who exactly? Does that really seem reasonable to you?

I do agree that test and trace is essential to returning to some semblance of normal life. I'm devastated to think we got the numbers right down to a level that probably could have managed to be controlled by T&T over the summer, only to have reopened too quickly and without a robust enough system to keep it under control. I think this, paired with an equally robust system for monitoring through regular testing, is the only way forward.

[SaltyAndFresh]

The 2m zone is another embarrassing failure. SLTs don't seem to grasp that in order to stay 2m away, you'd have to stay behind the zone rather than in it. The kids must think we're idiots.