West Mainland COVID-19 situation

NHS Orkney Public Health and Orkney Islands Council are working closely to contain a COVID cluster in the West Mainland that involves several school children.

As in all situations like this, the school that has been impacted, Stromness Academy, has sent out “warn and inform letters” to parents and staff advising them on the situation.

The school remains open, however, the 9 who have been identified as PCR positive up to Wednesday afternoon, are isolating and PCR testing of contacts is underway.

So far 47 people are self-isolating because they are contacts of the COVID-positive cases.

NHS Orkney Public Health Consultant Sara Lewis said the cluster was inevitable with the easing of restrictions.

“Situations like this are happening across the country and we are working to contain the situation. What we need now is for the community to work with us by watching for symptoms, doing their lateral flow tests and, for those who haven’t been vaccinated, to come forward and get their jab.”

School staff and secondary students are asked to continue carrying out their twice-weekly lateral flow tests and registering their results. These tests are available from schools, or can be collected at Boots the Chemist, Sutherlands in Stromness and Kirkwall and can be ordered online.

Anyone who has a positive lateral flow test must book a PCR test through the Covid Assessment Centre and isolate until they receive their result.

Should you have symptoms including a new cough, temperature and loss of taste and smell you and your family should immediately self-isolate and book a PCR test by contacting the Covid Assessment Centre on 01856888211.

The CAC opens at 7.45am and closes at 6pm (Mon-Fri). After a positive LFT you must isolate until your PCR test confirms you are negative. If your PCR is positive there will be isolation protocols that you will have to follow the NHS Orkney team will help folk every step of the way.

The Council’s Executive Director of Education, Leisure and Housing, James Wylie, said: “Following discussions with Public Health, and following the appropriate guidelines, the school will remain open, and staff will continue to provide support for pupils attending at school and for those who are self-isolating. Pupils having to self-isolate for ten days will be encouraged to continue with appropriate work at home relevant to their current studies. Public Health and Education Services have established a pattern of daily meetings to ensure that the situation is reviewed in real time.

“We would like to reassure everyone that we are taking all the steps we can to ensure the safety of pupils and staff while in the school. If anyone is experiencing any symptoms, then they must stay at home and follow NHS guidance.

“As schools returned after the summer holidays, with folk heading off and visitors coming to Orkney, it was anticipated there would be a rise in the number of cases. Thankfully, it remains relatively low in Orkney but, as has been shown, clusters such as these can occur at any time.

“We would stress that it is vital for secondary pupils and all staff to continue participating in the twice-weekly testing, to log the results online and for everyone else in the community to stick to the guidance of wearing face coverings when inside, keeping the required distance from others and to maintain handwashing and sanitizing.”

Unless exempt, current mitigations in schools are:

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.
• Windows should continue to be opened to maximise ventilation.
• Face coverings will continue to be a requirement at all times for all staff and learners in secondary schools.
• In all other 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.