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Original poster

This is news to me! Households with children in primary and secondary are expected to perform two lateral flow tests at home each week ...

163 replies

justanotherneighinparadise · 09/03/2021 10:10

is this common knowledge? I honestly had no idea. I knew secondary schools were going to do on site testing and that’s all I had heard.

My child’s primary mentioned yesterday to one of the parents that the expectation is that all the parents should be testing weekly and now we have literature from the local council saying the same. How has this completely passed me by?!!!

OP posts:
DenisetheMenace · 09/03/2021 10:12

Don’t know. Think it was first mentioned when return on 8th March was announced. Certainly been regularly in the news for the past couple of weeks.

Very easy to do.

Cerealnamechangerstrikesagain · 09/03/2021 10:13

It’s not compulsory though as far as im aware. I don’t think schools can make you.

Bordois · 09/03/2021 10:13

I wasn't aware either- our primary school have said nothing about it.

SonnetForSpring · 09/03/2021 10:15

Yes, the council sent a letter to the school and the school forwarded it on to us. We picked ours up yesterday. Check the gov website.

UserTwice · 09/03/2021 10:15

Not compulsory, but it's been on the news and schools (generally, clearly some haven't!) have publicised information about where to get tests locally.

RockingMyFiftiesNot · 09/03/2021 10:19

What annoys me about this is that they are concerned enough about virus spread in schools to provide all the testing kits, yet still won't vaccinate teachers and support staff. I am very glad I'm not a 50 year old teacher with all the kids back in school now - old enough to be deemed 'vulnerable' but not old enough quite to have had the vaccine.

Comefromaway · 09/03/2021 10:22

I was aware (have a 17 year old child and a teacher husband) but I'm not doing it.

Bramshott · 09/03/2021 10:23

Not sure it's "expected", just "are able to if they want" - in the same way many people working outside the home are now able to access regular LFT.

Comeonmommy · 09/03/2021 10:28

Can I ask why people are not willing to do the home testing?
My understanding is that a lot of kids are asymptomatic so the testing would potentially stop a child spreading it round the school. The test doesn't hurt and takes 15 minutes to do but could save more children and their families from catching it - do I have it wrong?

SaberToothKitten · 09/03/2021 10:35

It's a 'soft launch'. As in there is hardly any publicity around this. Presumably because they won't be able to meet demand if they tell everyone and try to enforce it.

Original poster
justanotherneighinparadise · 09/03/2021 10:36

My excuse is I have been some entrenched in home schooling that I just haven’t been able to keep up with all the information out there currently. Okay it’s voluntary is it? That’s something at least. We are incredibly low risk so I’m not going to rush out and start getting the kits unless it’s compulsory.

OP posts:
Original poster
justanotherneighinparadise · 09/03/2021 10:37

@Comeonmommy

Can I ask why people are not willing to do the home testing? My understanding is that a lot of kids are asymptomatic so the testing would potentially stop a child spreading it round the school. The test doesn't hurt and takes 15 minutes to do but could save more children and their families from catching it - do I have it wrong?
I have no issue but honestly the likelihood of any of us contracting it is so low I’d be robbing another high risk family of the tests.
OP posts:
idontlikealdi · 09/03/2021 10:40

It's not expected but you can if you want.

SoCrimeaRiver · 09/03/2021 10:41

You can also order them online from the government website. Ours arrived the day after ordering, but DS is at secondary so we'd been expecting to do this anyway.

Iwantacookie · 09/03/2021 10:42

I hadn't heard of this for primary schools either.

Blerg · 09/03/2021 10:42

I missed this too and I do read news etc on Covid updates quite a bit. Our primary school has said they have tests available but haven’t said who should use them.

averythinline · 09/03/2021 10:44

Still not sure how we are supposed to get the kits...

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 09/03/2021 10:47

You get kits from testing centres.

My teen has to do them. My teen years were spent on first kisses, sneaky fags, sneaky booze.

Her teen years are spent doing Covid tests😢 and being inside.

Mumdiva99 · 09/03/2021 10:48

I have kids at primary and secondary. I am happy to be tested to keep the primary kids safe - I assume the testing in secondary schools itself (and then at home) will pick up some asymptomatic cases in secondary.....but as primary kids aren't tested this seems like a good thing to do.

I was going to pick up the tests but it was really unclear where I do this. So I ordered online. I couldn't order for my partner though.

noblegiraffe · 09/03/2021 10:51

It’s been incredibly poorly advertised. All the stuff about getting kids back to school has been focused on staff and secondary students tested.

I went to a pick-up site to get some tests and it was me and one other person to pick up tests and about 15 people to hand out the tests. Incredible waste of money.

UserTwice · 09/03/2021 10:53

I have no issue but honestly the likelihood of any of us contracting it is so low I’d be robbing another high risk family of the tests.

I don't think there is any shortage of lateral flow tests currently? They are being offered to loads of different people.

I wfh and don't see anyone, but I figure it's worth taking the tests in case one of my DC has picked up Covid asymptomatically and passed it to me ... so that they know not to keep going to school.

ZeroFuchsGiven · 09/03/2021 10:53

@averythinline

Still not sure how we are supposed to get the kits...
Our kits are being provided by the school.
HazeyJaneII · 09/03/2021 10:57

It hasn't been well advertised.

They can be ordered from here, or follow the directions to find out the nearest pick up point for tests.

www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests

FabulousIAm · 09/03/2021 11:12

@averythinline

Still not sure how we are supposed to get the kits...
www.gov.uk/find-covid-19-lateral-flow-test-site