The latest isolation rules

[Bluepanda86]

Hello everyone,

Just wanted some clarification regarding isolation rules for children.
We received notification today that there has been a positive case in my daughter's nursery and she is required to self isolate.
Am i right whilst she is self isolating, me and hubby can still leave the house?
We all did lateral flow tests earlier for peace of mind and all came back negative.
Feeling so stressed as it is 😢.

Yes, it's just your child that needs to isolate

Just your child, but obviously she can’t stay at home. Aggghh it’s all so stressful!

Just a thought- 10 days will take you over the ‘freedom from isolation’ day. Does that mean you can test and stop, or is just for contacts after that date?

For contacts after that date @Provencerose

Thanks for your replies. I tried for ages to look online as i felt so paranoid. We haven't done this for so long and the last time it occurred I was shielding so stayed at home. I've spoken to my employers and they were so supportive. I've taken some annual leave to help ease the pressure on childcare. I think she has to isolate until the 16th. As the ten days started on Friday though she hadn't left the house since Friday anyway.

Isolation starts from the date of contact with the positive case

My understanding is that she should stay isolated from you. Which is probably impossible. So in that situation I have and would reduce risk ie no kissing. And I limit my own outdoor trips to buying food, as infrequently as possible and using self scan. No non essential trips out.

I hope it speeds by for you OP and you all stay negative!
Good luck- I dread the call arriving from nursery!!

I think no kissing a nursery age child for an isolation period is pretty cruel

Just the child. Also as the test is negative so far I see no reason you could not hire childcare at home and both of you keep going out to work I suppose if that preserves your jobs and is for the greater good of the family and indeed the NHS as your wages and tax revenue to pay nurses is preserved.

@littleducks

I think no kissing a nursery age child for an isolation period is pretty cruel

In which case the child is not in isolation and they should isolate as a household. It can't be both surely, otherwise the child isn't isolating, they're just staying home.

The child isn't positive - they are a close contact. And the parents are probably vaxxed. You can kiss your child OP!

When this happened to us a couple of weeks ago the nursery told us to get the child a PCR test too which we did and it was negative so that helped to ease the anxiety.

My DH and I just made sure we both got a chance to leave the house for a while each day (we have a baby too so took them on pram walks)

Yes, you are right only your DD needs to isolate unless she has symptoms, then you all isolate and get PCR test. From the 16 August it changes, where children and adults that are double jabbed don’t need to isolate, but recommend to get PCR test.

Regardless of the rights and wrongs what do people think 'isolate' means?

Whenever this has happened to either of my kids (primary/nursery and it's happened 4 times in the last academic year) the email from Health Protection Scotland has been really clear that the rest of the house can go to work or school as normal. There has been absolutely no suggestion ever that we isolate as a household or that we refrain from having any kind of physical contact with a young child.

I work in a school and DH also works out of the home - and the non isolating child at the time still went to school and nursery.

@StealthPolarBear

Regardless of the rights and wrongs what do people think 'isolate' means?

You would seriously reject your really small child if they wanted a hug and a kiss?

Really?!

Nope. Read when I actually posted please.

@StealthPolarBear

Nope. Read when I actually posted please.

I read what you posted and took it to mean you'd put your own spin on it and gone overboard on what you'd been asked to do. Certainly the correspondence that we've had all 4 times has not made mention that young children should reduce contact with parents OR that the rest of the house should be isolating/reducing trips beyond what local guidance and rules suggest.

But if an individual is expected to 'isolate' then that means no contact. For an adult, staying mostly in a room away from family.
As you say for a child (even an older one) that's not going to happen. So when my eleven year old was 'isolating' we reduced contact as much as absolutely possible as a family. Technically we weren't isolating.

Yes if your daughter is symptom free you and husband can still leave the house!

My son had to isolate a few weeks ago. I was home with him but Dp still went to work and Dd still went to school - which wasn't easy getting her there with Ds being home.

We didn't isolate him into one room and we didn't social distance from him at all. That would have been impossible. He is 10 and autistic, just wouldn't have happened. We carried on as normal apart from DS isolating. Kept a close eye on symptoms and made sure we disinfected surfaces more often. He didn't catch it neither did any of his classmates. Likelihood is that your daughter won't either.

Although use common sense. I am not cuddling or getting too close to people generally at the moment although I would cuddle my own baby of course had I had one at home.