Schools will be able to report Covid-19 cases and get advice directly from a new Department for Education hotline from tomorrow.
The department has created the new service after admitting that schools were facing difficulties getting through to local public health teams for advice when they have positive cases of the coronavirus.
School leaders’ unions warned prime minister Boris Johnson that this was placing schools in an “impossible position” with teachers left making public health decisions about who to send home to self-isolate.
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Mr Johnson also today faced questions about Covid-19 testing for schools at a meeting of Parliament’s Liaison Committee.
During the session, the prime minister admitted that the country did not have enough testing capacity but would be able to carry out 500,000 tests a day by the end of next month.
Coronavirus hotline opens for schools
The Association of School and College Leaders said that it has received more than 50 reports of schools struggling to contact public health teams after staff or pupils have tested positive for the coronavirus.
Now the Department for Education has said that from tomorrow there will be a new dedicated advice service available to schools, nurseries and colleges.
In one of its daily emails to schools, the DfE says: “We recognise that there have been some difficulties getting through to the local public health protection teams for advice on action to take on a positive case in the setting.
“As a result, from tomorrow (17 September), there will be a new dedicated advice service available to advise nurseries, schools and colleges who have been informed of a confirmed case(s) of coronavirus (Covid-19) in their setting (ie, a pupil or staff member testing positive).
“We are updating our guidance to reflect this change.
“This means that instead of calling your local health protection team when there is a confirmed case in your education setting, we will now be asking you to call the DfE’s helpline and you will then be directed to the dedicated NHS advice team for nurseries, schools and colleges with confirmed cases”
From tomorrow, this new service can be reached by calling the DfE’s existing helpline on 0800 046 8687 and selecting the option for reporting a positive Covid case.
The line will be open Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm, and from 10am to 4pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
Schools will be put through to a team of advisers who will inform them what action is needed based on the latest public health advice, and work through a risk assessment to identify close contacts.
The DfE email adds: “This new process will free up capacity of Public Health England’s local health protection teams to deal with more complex cases; for example, special schools and universities or outbreaks where there is more than one confirmed case.
“Advisers will be responsible for escalating these cases as necessary following a triaging of your circumstances during the call.”
Education secretary Gavin Williamson said: “Schools, colleges and early years settings across the country have worked tremendously hard to put protective measures in place that are helping reduce the risk of the virus being transmitted.
“These measures have meant children and young people can continue with their education, with the latest data showing 99.9 per cent of schools open for the autumn term.”
He added: “The number of confirmed cases in schools remains low but to protect schools it is important headteachers continue to have access to timely support and advice. This new dedicated advice line will help schools, colleges or early years settings to implement the most appropriate public health measures, once a case is confirmed.”
