What is ‘close contact’ - should I be isolating or not?

[Tinseltiptoes]

I haven’t been told to, but a member of staff tested positive today. They were in work yesterday and I had several face to face (no mask) conversations with them. They didn’t amount to more than a couple of minutes each time id say, but were in a small enclosed office.

Should I be isolating or not? My workplace seems to think no but I thought without a mask and in close proximity I should be?

15 minutes over a day at less than 2 metres or 1 minute at a metre or less.

It was less than a metre. We were side by side. Couple of minutes or so.

But I guess if my employer says no I have to keep going in?
I don’t particularly want to SI as I have a load of stuff on over the next couple of weeks but I obviously will if I need to.

its not 15 mins over a day

i would say not in that situation, my workplace would discipline for not distancing as you shouldnt have been so close but it doesnt meet isolation guidance

No one is distancing - I’m in a school. People are close together all the time. It’s impossible.

no i agree i'm a teacher too we don't distance but equally i cant ask to go home either as i'm meant to distance from staff no learners

My school currently has 1/4 of their staff positive 🙄

Several face to face conversations at less than 1m for a few minutes , then yes you should be isolating.

Close contact definition here.

Examples of close contact include:

• close face to face contact (under 1 metre) for any length of time – including talking to them or coughing on them

• being within 1 to 2 metres of each other for more than 15 minutes – including travelling in a small vehicle

• spending lots of time in your home, such as cleaning it

It’s not up to your employer to decide.

Track & Trace will get confirmation of her direct contacts.

If she gives them your name, you will be asked to isolate.

Suspect she may not give your name though if this is a school situation, as that would be dropping her and you both in it. You should not be having conversations at that close a distance. Disciplinary!

It's a weird situation but really only if track and trace ring (although I would isolate if I could, and did in a similar situation but I can work from home) My partner spent 3 hours in a small office with someone who tested positive the next day, but because track and trace didnt ring he was just told to carry on as normal. Bizarre.

He works in a hospital and there is limited space for social distancing although they were wearing masks but no other ppe.

I’ve has no guidelines from school regarding distancing etc. Everyone is super close. Everyone.

Are you in the UK? Your school should have a published risk assessment on their website that has also been shared with all staff that includes how they will respond to cases. The school should be asking them who they have been a close contest with. It sounds daft but worth timing a minute... do you think your conversations were longer than that af less than 2m?