Covid guidance reminder for staff and pupils returning to the classroom

The Council is reminding school staff and pupils of Covid-19 measures still in place to try and keep everyone safe as they return to the classroom this month.

Staff and secondary pupils are asked to undertake twice-weekly lateral flow tests in the week leading up to the start of term and every week thereafter. With all schools across the county due back on Tuesday 17 August, home testing should begin again the week commencing Monday 9 August.

Orkney Islands Council Executive Director of Education, Leisure and Housing, James Wylie, said: “All school staff and secondary pupils are strongly encouraged to restart twice-weekly at-home LFD testing in the week prior to return. The advice states that ideally, staff and secondary pupils should take the second weekly test either in the morning before leaving for the first day of school or the evening before.

“It is really important that you record your results online, whether positive, negative or void. This helps public health experts understand what levels of COVID-19 are and can inform policy on things like future mitigations in schools.

“Testing can help reduce the risks of COVID-19 outbreaks in schools. This, in turn, can help reduce the likelihood that staff or children and young people will have to self-isolate due to outbreaks.”

All schools offered test kits to staff and pupils prior to the summer break, which can be used for these purposes. If any staff or pupils have not received test kits, they can access them in a range of different ways, including ordering online for home delivery, or collecting kits from your nearest test site or pharmacy, such as Sutherlands in Kirkwall and Stromness, and Boots.

The latest Scottish Government guidance for the start of this term remains largely unchanged, although this will be reviewed again after six weeks to see how mitigations may be adjusted or removed. In the meantime, the Council’s Education Service has compiled a list of key points for everyone – apart from those who are exempt - to consider when preparing for the return to school.

Hygiene, Ventilation and Face Coverings

• All hand and respiratory hygiene mitigations will continue to be encouraged, and an enhanced cleaning regime will continue to apply in buildings and vehicles.
• Establishments will continue to test air quality and, where necessary, increase ventilation.
• Face coverings will continue to be a requirement at all times for all staff and learners in secondary schools.
• In all establishments, adults will be expected to wear a face covering whenever they cannot maintain physical distance from other adults, children or young people.
• In primary schools, adults will also need to wear a face covering whenever they are moving around communal areas of the school, including corridors.
• Only pupils aged 12 and over will be required to wear a face covering when travelling on dedicated school transport.

Groupings and Distancing

• The grouping of pupils and adults into discrete bubbles will no longer be required, but assemblies and other large gatherings will continue to be kept on hold for at least six weeks.
• There will be no requirement for children and young people to maintain physical distancing between each other, although this will continue to be encouraged in secondary schools.
• The distance that adults are required to maintain from other adults, children and young people has formally been reduced to 1 metre, however schools will continue to encourage folk to maintain 2 metre distancing wherever possible.
• Pupils using dedicated school transport will not be expected to maintain distancing between each other, but there will remain an expectation that drivers remain at least 1 metre distance from all passengers.
• Parents and carers will continue to be discouraged from attending school premises except in cases where this is agreed with the school as being absolutely necessary.

Vaccination, Testing and Self-Isolation

• Adults and secondary pupils will be encouraged to take twice-weekly LFD tests and to record their results online.
• Any adult, child or young person who develops the symptoms of COVID-19, or who test positive must self-isolate immediately in line with NHS Guidance, and notify their school.
• Any adult who is fully vaccinated identified by Test and Protect as a close contact of a positive case should self-isolate immediately and book a PCR Test. If the test result is negative and they remain without symptoms then they may return to school, whilst remaining vigilant.
• Any young person aged between 18 years and 18 years 4 months, who Is not yet fully vaccinated and who is identified by Test and Protect as a close contact of a positive case should self-isolate immediately and book a PCR Test. If the test result is negative and they remain without symptoms then they may return to school, whilst remaining vigilant.
• Any adult aged over 18 years 4 months, who is not fully vaccinated and who is identified by Test and Protect as a close contact of a positive case should self-isolate immediately and seek a PCR test. They should continue to self-isolate for 10 days from onset of symptoms even if the test result is negative.
• Children and young people aged from 5 to 17 will no longer be subject to a blanket requirement to self-isolate for 10 days if they are identified as a close contact. Instead, they should self-isolate immediately and book a PCR Test. It the test result is negative and they remain without symptoms then they may return to school, whilst remaining vigilant. Children aged under 5 will be exempt from this testing.
• Schools and Early Learning Childcare settings will not be required to stand down classes in the event of a positive case being identified. They will, instead, send parents and staff a ‘warn and inform’ letter advising them of the facts and reminding them that there is no need to self-isolate unless contacted by Test and Protect and advised otherwise.
• The Chief Medical Officer advises that children and young people on the highest risk list can now follow that same advice as the rest of the population.