Schools have been told to continue with plans to introduce regular Covid testing despite being closed to most pupils during a new national lockdown.

Guidance from the Department for Education, which was sent to schools late last night, says the programme should continue to allow for weekly testing of staff and any close contacts of Covid cases who are attending school.

Secondary schools and colleges had been gearing up to deliver a massive Covid testing programme from next week, with millions of lateral flow test kits being sent out to schools this week.

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The testing regime underpinned the government’s plan to ensure that schools could reopen this term but caused major controversy after being dropped on schools at the very end of last term.

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However, prime minister Boris Johnson announced last night that schools are moving online for most pupils in a new national lockdown because of concerns that the NHS will not be able to cope with the continuing rise in Covid cases. 

An email sent to schools last night, seen by Tes, says the tests will continue.

The new guidance says: “The coronavirus (Covid-19) testing programme should be continued to enable weekly testing for staff and daily close contact testing for those staff and pupils attending secondary schools and colleges.

“This programme also allows schools and colleges to test pupils on return.”