Schools saying pupils have to isolate for 10 days if close contact for positive PCR

[soredust]

My child's school is saying that if a pupil has a positive PCR test, then close contacts have to isolate for 10 days. I thought this rule was scrapped back in August? So if someone is named as close contact of someone who has a positive PCR test (even if the pupil named as a close contact is vaccinated or has had covid already and cannot test again because of the 90 days PCR rule) they will have to isolate. This is fucking ridiculous and so damaging to childrens education.

Yes it was
I hope they don't enforce this as DCs school is rife

It's new government guidance that close contacts of someone who's identified as having the omicron variant all have to self-isolate.

So out of your school's hands, unless they are now enforcing it for all positive Covid cases regardless.

Now is that not an illegal exclusion….. The legislation is very clear.

Is it the new varient?

How do PCR tests know if it is the new variant or not? I thought they said no more disruption to childrens education.

The new varient requires 10 days isolation for close contacts. I imagine school are wanting to mke sure that this happens as mot everyone will promptly know if the varient is delta or the new ome

They should only do this if it's omicron

We are in this situation. 2 cases confirmed via email this morning literally within an hour of drop off. One child (really unwell) within class today just been sent home having tested positive but sent in pending results.
Everybody including myself (as I attended as a helper on a local trip today) has to book a PCR. Parents to receive further advice later today.

Called 119- asked track and trace if they test for which variant if positive, had to put me on hold only to return and inform me they've had no update, I could check the government website or follow schools instructions.
So do we assume every case as "suspected"? `
Push on as this is not really happening?
Pray for Christmas?
Book leave as clearly this is just going to blow up in the next two weeks?
Or isolate anyway?
Just insane and so unfair on parents trying to juggle everything, children being left at the mercy of this shitshow guidance (or lack of it).
They either need to test for this variant or don't. Just stop with the grey impossible to navigate rules and actually recognise that schools still need measures, this is not sustainable in any way.

In some areas children have been isolating if a household contact tests positive (local public health trumps national guidance)

No this should not be happening unless it's confirmed to be the new variant. However I had to email school at the weekend with my daughters negative day 2 test after a positive case in our household, they replied saying she could come to school, but it was worded to suggest that I should be making the choice to keep her at home. I've sent her in today and really keeping my fingers crossed it was the right thing to do.

@RedskyThisNight

It's new government guidance that close contacts of someone who's identified as having the omicron variant all have to self-isolate.

So out of your school's hands, unless they are now enforcing it for all positive Covid cases regardless.

But surely you’d be told if it was because it’s the new variant?

It’s 3 cases so far as whilst I don’t argue that I may be 250 cases by the end of the week, it’s still pretty unlikely. If they happen to do genome sequencing on your positive test (I think they only do on a fraction?) and it’s the new variant and then you’re contacted by PHE for a more thorough trace, I assume you’d know.

We’re I am, this was the local guidance before half term. For us it was to do with the high number of local cases, but I imagine we’ll see more local guidance like this as we adjust to the new variant.

I don’t think should be happening unless it’s the new variant. My (year one in wales) daughter is a close contact. I got the email today. She’s in school and they just advise pcr. My son has a few kids in his class off with covid but no email for him for some reason.

The school are making up the rules. It’s only if you are in contact with Omicron. At the moment, there are 9 cases of it. Delta will continue to rule the roost for a while yet.

Our school advise a PCR to be taken if a close contact & then back to school. They allow kids with positive households in as well, as per the actual rules. Again, some schools have been making rules up & not allowing household contacts in..

Our primary school is asking kids with a covid household case to stay at home until they’ve had a negative PCR.

Numbers are jumping up, so it is only fair enough.

@Bobholll

The school are making up the rules. It’s only if you are in contact with Omicron. At the moment, there are 9 cases of it. Delta will continue to rule the roost for a while yet.

Our school advise a PCR to be taken if a close contact & then back to school. They allow kids with positive households in as well, as per the actual rules. Again, some schools have been making rules up & not allowing household contacts in..

They may be getting advice from local public health. That’s what happened in our school. Until then, they let contacts on and lo and behold, numbers went up. Funny that. And some kids have been pretty poorly with it.

My DD is in a school for children with additional needs; her class is full of extremely vulnerable children. There have been two confirmed cases via PCR but she’s already been in contact with them and they are just advising PCR and twice weekly lateral flows

www.itv.com/news/2021-11-28/why-it-may-take-too-long-to-identify-contacts-of-those-infected-with-omicron

'Health Secretary Sajid Javid told BBC presenter Andrew Marr this morning it would be possible to quarantine the contacts of those with Omicron for 10 days in a timely way because the new Covid variant comes up negative for the “S” gene in PCR tests (what he called “S gene drop out”), unlike Delta.'

Also

unherd.com/2021/11/the-good-news-about-the-omicron-variant

The updated guidance for schools makes it clear track and trace will tell schoo contacts when to isolate so nothing to do with school kids go in unless you are told otherwise by track and trace only

They can get advice all they want but that’s not the correct advice. Close contacts only have to isolate upon contact with the new variant. Any other variant, it’s a negative PCR test & then back to school. Which is perfectly reasonable.

Our school had a huge outbreak in October but unlike mumsnet, there wasn’t mass hysteria. Everyone got on with it & all good. Some kids were ill, kids get ill. It’s not nice but it’s life. Mine have just had the stomach bug from hell. It’s two weeks now & they still aren’t 100%. Still very tired & not eating properly. But they’ll get over it eventually. Covid is just the same.

This guidance has been updated to reflect new variant

Schools should not be telling any child to get a pcr as a contact - new or old variant

They are no longer responsible for identifying contacts - they are over stepping

@Watapalava

Schools should not be telling any child to get a pcr as a contact - new or old variant

They are no longer responsible for identifying contacts - they are over stepping

You’re incorrect. Schools will be getting advice from public health England. If PHE tell them to do it, then they do it.

The 10 day rule is back if contact was with the new variant. Not just for schools.

However, some local authorities in areas with high case numbers were doing it before this announcement.

@bobholll
Tell that to the over 100 families who jave already lost a child due to covid

I would rather a cautious period now while data os amassed on the new varient than push on and find out once numbers are out of control again.

If the school is stating the meed to isolate it may be local advise due to high numbers or because the case in question could be the new varient and its better to say isolate for 10 days and if not new varient to end isolatio earlier than to not have isolation and find out its new varient when mixing has caused further spread