Isolation rules covid

[Marzipan12]

Can someone help please. I'm confused about isolation rules once schools reopen. I heard that if a child in a bubble is tested positive the whole bubble has to isolate for 14 days, is this true. Also if a child has symptoms but tests negative do they still have to isolate for 10 days or can they return to school? Thankyou.

To add I'm in England.

If a child in a bubble is tested positive the whole bubble has to isolate for 14 days, is this true.

No

It's only close contacts who need to isolate, and a close contact is one of the following.

1. direct close contacts - face to face contact with an infected individual for any length of time, within 1 metre, including being coughed on, a face to face conversation, or unprotected physical contact (skin-to-skin)

2. proximity contacts - extended close contact (within 1 to 2 metres for more than 15 minutes) with an infected individual

3. travelling in a small vehicle, like a car, with an infected person

However, if schools has two or more confirmed cases within 14 days then health protection teams may recommend that a larger number of other pupils self-isolate at home as a precautionary measure – perhaps the whole site or year group.

if a child has symptoms but tests negative do they still have to isolate for 10 days or can they return to school?

If someone tests negative, if they feel well and no longer have symptoms similar to coronavirus (COVID-19), they can stop self-isolating. They could still have another virus, such as a cold or flu – in which case it is still best to avoid contact with other people until they are better.

The isolation rules are no different to anyone else - if you test negative you can return when well, providing you tested due to symptoms rather than being contacted by track and trace, and no-one else in your household has symptoms.

I think some settings may also have more stringent rules, so school should communicate these if so.

The 'bubbles' thing, having ploughed through current guidance, is trickier. It looks like if a child tests positive they'll ask pupils they know have been in close contact to isolate, but not necessarily close the bubble. It's all a bit 'contact PHE and we'll cross that bridge when we get there' at the moment.