Since March 2022 when the ultimate Covid restrictions had been lifted the UK Well being and Safety Company (UKHSA) has suggested that COVID-19 must be managed like different respiratory infections, akin to flu.
COVID-19 presents a low threat to kids and younger individuals. This, mixed with excessive vaccination charges within the inhabitants, means there are not particular guidelines referring to COVID-19 in faculties, faculties, childcare and different training settings.
Right here’s what it’s essential to know.
What occurs if a workers member or my little one exams constructive for COVID-19?
For kids and younger individuals aged 18 and below who check constructive for COVID-19, the recommendation is to attempt to keep at residence and keep away from contact with different individuals for 3 days. It’s because kids and younger individuals are typically infectious to different individuals for much less time than adults.
Adults with a constructive COVID-19 check end result are suggested to attempt to keep at residence and keep away from contact with different individuals for 5 days, which is when they’re most infectious.
The UKHSA has additionally printed public well being steerage on living safely with respiratory infections, including COVID-19.
Who can nonetheless check?
As people are actually mixing in an open society, common testing inside a setting is not as efficient because it as soon as was. As a substitute, the best safety towards extreme illness from COVID-19 for everybody, together with these at greater threat from COVID-19, is to get vaccinated.
Individuals susceptible to critical sickness from COVID-19 will proceed to get free exams to make use of in the event that they develop signs, together with NHS and grownup social care workers and people in different high-risk settings. Native Well being Safety Groups (HPT) might implement outbreak testing for particular settings at their discretion.
Public well being steerage on the actions people with symptoms of a respiratory infection ought to take to assist scale back the danger of catching COVID-19 and passing it on to others is out there.
Vaccines stay our greatest weapon towards this virus. By getting vaccinated, kids, younger individuals and workers can enhance their safety towards COVID-19.
Sources, together with immunisation steerage can be found for folks and younger individuals, which may be discovered here.
What measures ought to faculties be taking to cease the unfold?
In addition to following the UKHSA steerage signposted, all settings ought to have in place baseline an infection prevention and management measures that can assist to handle the unfold of an infection:
Ought to faculties present distant training for pupils who’ve COVID-19?
Faculties ought to think about distant studying for pupils that do check constructive for COVID-19 however who really feel nicely sufficient to study however are following recommendation to remain at residence and keep away from contact with different individuals for 3 days.
What’s in place to assist kids catch up in the event that they miss faculty?
We’ve made almost £5 billion obtainable to assist kids and younger individuals to get well from the influence of the pandemic, together with over £1 billion for the Nationwide Tutoring Programme, which has revolutionised the way in which focused assist is offered for the kids and younger individuals who want it probably the most. Over two million programs have began by means of the programme, together with in areas with excessive proportions of youngsters in receipt of pupil premium funding, akin to components of Yorkshire & the Humber and the North West.
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