School staff and pupils who are identified as a Covid contact should take a daily lateral flow test and only attend if they test negative, according to new guidance published today.
From tomorrow, anyone identified as a Covid contact will be expected to take a week of lateral flow tests regardless of whether it is the Omicron variant or not.
This includes adults who have been doubled vaccinated, and children as young as 5.
Here is everything schools have been told:
Most Covid contacts should take a daily lateral flow test for seven days
A Department for Education email sent to schools today (Monday December 13), and seen by Tes, says most Covid contacts should take a lateral flow device for seven days and attend if they continue to test negative.
This is the case for contacts of all cases of Covid - not just the Omicron variant.
Before this change was announced, contacts of Omicron cases were asked to self isolate for 10 days. However other Covid contacts were simply asked to take a PCR test.
Does this apply to all school-age pupils?
The government guidance says that the new national approach applies both to adults who have been double vaccinated and children and young people from the age of five to 18.
School-age pupils of 5 and over and staff who are double jabbed will be expected to take daily tests if they are identified as Covid contacts.
It does not apply to unvaccinated adults who are expected to self isolate.
What do school staff and pupils need to do if they are a Covid contact?
Once identified by NHS Test and Trace as a close contact, all eligible staff, pupils and students should take an lateral flow device each day for seven days and report the results through an online reporting system and to their schools.
If they test negative, they can continue to attend their education setting.
What happens if you test positive on a lateral flow test?
Anyone who tests positive with a lateral flow test will be expected to self isolate and then take a more reliable PCR test.
If the PCR is positive, they must self-isolate for 10 days.
If the PCR test is negative, they no longer need to self-isolate but should continue to carry out the remainder of the daily rapid lateral flow tests, and only need to isolate again if this returns a positive result.
Secondary schools can order emergency supplies of LFD tests
The Department for Education has said all staff and secondary aged pupils and students should have access to a box of 7 lateral flow tests from their school .
The email sent to heads today says that if schools need additional test kits sooner than they would be available through the standard ordering process, or will run out of test kits imminently, they can contact 119 to request “an emergency replenishment”.
The DfE says that primary aged children can access lateral flow tests from community test sites, local pharmacies or online.
How long will this system be in place for?
The email to schools says that this national approach will be placed until the end of this term and approach should also be adopted over the winter break and on return in January.
