Dear parents/guardians,
We are looking forward to welcoming the children back to school on Wednesday (Nursery & P1 have individual starting arrangements).
Please read through the following important information regarding Covid guidelines. At this time we must maintain caution and manage risk. We will continue with our daily routines and procedures in our effort to keep everyone safe and well at school. We need our school community to follow all current regulations and guidance to help us do this.
Our response to a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the school community will be tailored to the situation and will vary in line with current public health guidance. Information is needed to allow identification of the close contacts and depending on that risk assessment a small number of pupils and/or staff may need to get a PCR test and/or self- isolate for a period. This will vary depending on whether the close contacts are staff or pupils, their age and vaccination status.
When we are informed of a confirmed COVID case, we need the following information:
- Name and date of birth
- What date did the individual first develop symptoms?
- What date was the test done?
- When was the child/adult last in school?
- Which class/es is he/she in?
- Transport used to and from school?
Email: smccafferty143@c2kni.net at anytime regarding Covid.
With this information we are guided by the PHA and will then contact the close contacts as appropriate.
DEFINITIONS OF CLOSE CONTACTS IN SCHOOL SETTINGS AS AT AUGUST 2021 In the context of a case in a school, a close contact is anyone who has been close to a confirmed case of COVID-19 from 2 full days before the person was symptomatic* to 10 days after the onset of symptoms (i.e. the infectious period) and fulfils any of the following:
- lives in the same household
- has been within one metre and had face-to-face contact (including being coughed on or having a face-to-face conversation)
- skin-to-skin contact
- been within 2 metres of someone for more than 15 minutes (either as a one-off contact, or added up together over one day)
- has travelled in a small vehicle with the positive case
- travelled in a large vehicle / plane near the positive case. An interaction through a Perspex (or equivalent) screen with the person who has COVID-19 is not usually considered to be a contact if there has been no other contact such as those in the list above.
*If the person who has tested positive for COVID-19 did not have symptoms, then the infectious period is counted from 2 days before their test was taken to 10 days after their test was taken.
SUSPECTED CASE-COVID-19 If your child or any member of your family is unwell with suspected COVID 19, please contact us and follow the health guidance.
If during the school day, a child presents with any symptoms of COVID 19, (elevated temperature, continuous cough, change in taste/smell), you will be contacted.
Please let us know at the earliest opportunity if your child/or any family member is a close contact of a positive case, is positive or has developed symptoms of the virus so we can act quickly to limit the spread of the infection in school.
Below is a summary of the key messages from the Department of Education as we start term 1:
- Social distancing remains in place as a key mitigation to virus transmission.
- Staff will, where practical, continue to maintain 2m social distance from children.
- Personal hand and respiratory hygiene measures remain a fundamental aspect of preventing transmission of the virus. We will continue with our daily hygiene routines. Please remind your child about this and practice this at home. Also the use of a tissue to ‘catch and bin’ sneezes and coughs.
- We will continue to maintain measures within the school so that we can identify close contacts quickly and easily. We will continue to operate class bubbles indoors with some relaxation outdoors.
- Asymptomatic LFD testing is available for all staff in schools.
- Visitors to the school including parents/guardians at the school gate are also asked to wear a mask unless exempt from doing so.
Please find attached a flow chart issued by the PHA which aims to inform schools on close contacts of Covid 19. Thank you for your continued support.
Kind Regards,
Mrs S. McCafferty
