When bubbles burst..

[Hippywannabe]

How many people do you know who are genuinely keeping the kids in isolation?
DH works in a supermarket and asked me why so many kids were still on half term as there are so many in the store,
I had a quick look at local figures and it would seem that several of the local schools have burst bubbles.
I work in a school and so far, we have been lucky. Any children off being tested have been offered live lessons on Teams and to be fair, most have joined in. Those without access to Teams have been dropped off work (and food parcels).

I’m a teacher too, and was stupefied last week when one of the pupils in my class was picked up in the playground after school by her older sister (who must be about year 8 or 9). I asked my pupil about it the next day, and she replied that he sister doesn’t have to go to school because one of her friends tested positive. Oh my days.

My ds bubble burst Wednesday (ks2) and dd was sent home Friday both have not left the house/garden since then. They will be following the timetable set and taking part in any live lessons.
But I too have seen teens out in school hours.

I work in a bank and we keep getting kids in to open accounts who should be at school they come with parents who often will blatantly tell us the bubble has burst

Yep, I'm a teacher and I've had to ask a parent at a pick up why they have other school aged children with them. Her reply? 'They're off school self isolating but they get bored'
Ffs, they had come to school am & pm for a number of days and before anyone suggests she was a lone parent etc, they are 13 year old twins, so definitely ok to be left at home!

It's going to happen sadly. We keep the children at home as advised but it makes for a very difficult life.

I know a lot of classes that have been stopped because of teachers testing positive and apparently when this happens children don't need to isolate. Also some bubbles burst and onld direct contacts are told to isolate but children are still told their bubble is off school.

There is also a lot of classes being sent home with other illnesses such as norovirus and they don't have to isolate either.

It's not so clear cut as it seems.

My child's bubble has burst and he hasn't left the house since Monday when we drove to get him tested. He's year 3 and theyre expected to be on MS teams for morning registration, lunch and close of school, with lessons in between. All of his class have been on every day so far.

My DC1's bubble burst within a week of returning to school in September. She only left our house/ garden to go in the car to the COVID testing centre when she developed a cough half-way through the isolation period (she didn't have covid). But I know from social media etc that other parents took their DC to the park, went to the seaside for a few days, DC went to each other's houses (to be fair, that could have been for childcare and the least risky option for parents who had to work as the DC had already all been together in school). The school also sent out a text pointing out that parents couldn't bring their isolating child to the school to drop off or collect siblings.

I know this is a bit off topic, but I feel like when people within a bubble test positive, the bubble hasn't burst. That is the very situation the bubbles are designed for, to protect people outside the bubble. It only bursts if, like you say, people mix outside their outside their bubble or don't isolate when needed alongside their bubble.

It's not only a problem with children.
My mil is 84 , we don't live near her so currently haven't seen her in awhile .
She is burying her head with anything to do with covid, and is living life as normal as possible. Her area was also one that went up a tier before 2nd lockdown.
She told me she is in a bubble with her friend so they can continue to meet / go shopping. Next conversation , is she went to another friends house to get her haircut. And both her adult grandchildren ( who are in separate households ) are also still visiting !

I think very few state primary schools offer live lessons so in a sense there is nothing to keep them home apart from a parents conscious so inevitably some will and some will not. I tend to know people who have taken if very seriously but in essence no one has “checked up” so it’s very much a case of self policing.

It should lead to loss of a school place if parents don’t stick to it and are caught.

Maybe then those that don’t think the rules apply to them would think twice.

I think keeping primary aged children at home for 14 straight days has serious implications on their well-being, especially if it happens more than once.

I'm not advocating taking them round Tesco or mixing them with vulnerable people but exercise is important and many don't have gardens.

Many parents also can't have 2 full weeks of work, not after months of furlough and uncertainty. So sharing the children with other families in the bubble or grandparents is a must.

Hi. I'm sorry to jump onto this post but I'm unable to start my own thread for some reason. Would appreciate advice...

I'm confused with the isolation rules. 🤦‍♀️
My daughter has been in contact with someone who has tested positive for covid. So she now has to isolate for 14 days. I get that.
My son & I don't need to isolate as we haven't been.
But what's the situation with childcare? I don't need to isolate even though I'm in constant contact with my daughter (unless of course she starts showing symptoms) so is that the case for a family member? Who is in our 'childcare bubble'.
Can she care for my children with no need to isolate?
Please don't judge I'm genuinely confused about it all.
Thank you.

My DD school closed completely. She was sent home. She had not been in contact with anyone who had tested positive, and we were told we didn't have to keep her in. This was pre- lockdown. Why shouldn't she go shopping?

My DDs bubble burst a few weeks ago, she isolated properly. On the first day half of the class were out together and phoning / video calling her to come out and join them, I was horrified. BUT tbf it never happened again so I get the impression either parents found out and were horrified or someone reported them to the school (I considered it tbf but gave them the benefit of the doubt for that first day). From day 2 they were all present and correct on teams for the duration of the school day, and at least her close friends were home afterwards as they often baked / danced / crafted / talked rubbish on group video calls for hours after school. 3 of them ended up testing positive out of the 36 who had to isolate.

The number of kids that have been in my local supermarket during the day the last few times I've been is unbelievable! We certainly haven't had whole schools shutting, so I'm pretty certain they should be isolating.

Some year groups have been sent home due to staffing issues with no need to isolate- dd's year was off all last week, she is isolating though so will be off another week and no she hasn't left the house

Also please consider that if s child tests positive and recovers they are allowed out of isolation 10 days later, not 14. The 24 days is only for people in direct contact with positive cases if they show no symptoms. Also if a child was self isolating at the time the positive case was in class and therefore had no contact with them during the infection period they don't need to isolate either.

Yes a few schools near us have closed but not resulting in the need for all pupils to isolate. Not all children are off school due to covid and those that are, not all of them have to isolate.

14 days not 24 🙈

@CH79 how old is your DD? It's probably better to not bring someone else into the house when she's isolating to be fair. Esp not someone that will have to potentially have close contact with her. Better to keep it to yourself looking after her or her father if he is around.

But also you prob should also isolate if you're in constant contact with your daughter as usually when someone is isolating they need to fully distance from the household members. Obv this is impossible when we're looking at younger children

DS class has closed last week due to a positive case - within 5 minutes of the email being sent out to tell us, some parents were already saying they would have to take their child out when walking the dogs (even though there are 2 adults in the house), to the supermarket etc. School has already sent emails round saying the children who are isolating shouldn’t be coming to collect siblings from school and then another today saying children have already been seen out and about. Today is only day 4 and they only have to do 7 as presumably the test/result was late

As soon as the email came out similar parents were saying they wouldn’t be doing any school work - the kids were gleefully telling me and DS that they wouldn’t be doing any 🙄

I know a woman who said she'd had enough of her 12 year old whose bubble has been sent home and sent him and a friend up to the park 🤦🏻‍♀️

It really makes me despair when people make excuses as to why they shouldn't follow the rules.
I consider myself lucky that our Primary has been fine with us wearing masks if wanted, have provided visors, plus, we are ready to switch to Teams fully if necessary.
We have worked really hard to keep going since March and would hope that parents would do their bit by isolating if the time comes.

@loonytune253 Hiya, she's 6, in year 2.
Her Dad is out of the country with work at the moment. Sods law isn't it. 🤷‍♀️
I'm going to have to ring work in the morning & tell them I won't be in for a fortnight.
My son is still allowed to nursery though. So unless anyone in the house shows any symptoms he'll probably be going.
It's all a palaver isn't it!
So over covid & 2020.