no isolation in schools for close contacts of positive cases

[CurlyhairedAssassin]

It seems they will just test close contacts of positive cases daily instead. They only get sent home if they test positive on the LFT.

This doesn’t sound like a reassuring way of open all schools to all pupils. Can someone with a science background please reassure me that this plan is fine?

Whoever sent that letter home has seriously misunderstood. They should have read the guidance!

[quote Cantaloupeisland]New guidance here this definitely isn't the case!

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/963541/Schools_coronavirus_operational_guidance.pdf[/quote]
Page 29
" The lateral flow devices used have received regulatory approval from the MHRA for self- use. "

Did I miss something in the news?

Page 27

"Based on advice from Public Health England (PHE) and NHS Test and Trace, the testing programme initially included offering those who came into close contact with a positive case in schools the option of 7 days of daily contact testing (with self- isolation if a subsequent test was positive) as an alternative to self-isolation. PHE and NHS Test and Trace have now reviewed their initial advice in light of the higher prevalence and rates of transmission of new variants. They have concluded that these changes in virus mutations warrant further evaluation work and that daily contact testing in place of self-isolation should be paused until this evaluation has taken place. We will update this guidance once this evaluation is complete."

They aren't offering daily testing to stay in school any more

@RedGoldAndGreene

Yes - snuck out just before Christmas...

www.gov.uk/government/news/mhra-issues-exceptional-use-authorisation-for-nhs-test-and-trace-covid-19-self-test-device

I will update if I hear any further from school. No-one has sent a further email saying it was sent in error.

Don’t quite know what’s happened. Thanks for reassuring me, all.

The school have made an error and used the old consent form that was published before they changed their minds on this. The updated consent form makes no reference to the testing instead of isolation.

@CurlyhairedAssassin

Even if this is correct, I can't see many people taking up their offer of testing so that they can remain in school.

It wouldn't be just about remaining in school though would it, it would mean they could continue with hobbies and sports,seeing friends or even just going out for a walk. I doubt many teenagers would prefer 10 days isolation to a 10 second daily swab to give them their freedom. All irrelevant anyway if these plans have been ditched.

I would welcome anything that could lessen the repeated isolations. DD had 2 last term, so missed 4 weeks in total and some of her friends have missed 6 weeks and some have had none. Of course I understand the reasons but it's just such a lottery dependent on who is in your lessons.

I would also welcome RELIABLE measures.

I’ve had a vague fob off answer in response to my email to school. Basically telling me to look at the government website and that schools have been given a template. Which makes me wonder if government DO indeed plan to revert to the original plan of using LFT to keep contacts of positives in school.

Hmm, I did wonder if Boris' u-turn on masks in school, was with the intention of doing away with group isolation, saying only a positive pupil should isolate as everyone else is safely wearing a mask.

Please keep us updated if you hear anything more clarifying

The school has ballsed up then as the template was for January.

@CurlyhairedAssassin

I would also welcome RELIABLE measures.

I’ve had a vague fob off answer in response to my email to school. Basically telling me to look at the government website and that schools have been given a template. Which makes me wonder if government DO indeed plan to revert to the original plan of using LFT to keep contacts of positives in school.

The template was given for January. I would send them links to the specific guidance which has changed.

The school have ballsed up massively.

Had another email from school apologising for incorrect information given yesterday.

doesn't fill me with confidence that they know what they're doing, frankly.

Did they say it was the close contact thing that was wrong?

@CurlyhairedAssassin

Had another email from school apologising for incorrect information given yesterday.

doesn't fill me with confidence that they know what they're doing, frankly.

Not surprised you're feeling a bit sceptical after being fobbed off

I know, Dumplings, clearly I wasn't senior enough to listen to! Well, I'll never know what made them realise, I suppose, they could have had other people pointing out their error since mine, including any of the hundreds of parents and other staff it was sent to. I deliberately waited overnight and for a little while this morning as I was expecting the retraction to come more or less immediately.

Noble: it does seem that the close contact details are what's been changed in what they've sent out. They tried to make out that it was simply due to the announcements yesterday that has resulted in the change of policy but we all know that the original plans for daily contact testing were already paused in Jan.

It's awful when they have you doubting yourself, ,though, so I'm glad of the reassurance from this thread. Thanks, all!