Audience: all schools
Cascade: Headteachers and senior managers
In order for NYCC Public Health to provide an accurate picture of positive cases and to track the development of infection across the county as students and staff return to education settings, it is vital that linked cases of coronavirus within school communities (staff and students) are reported. Resources and attention can then be focused in areas of greatest need in a timely manner.
A reference flowchart has been uploaded onto the CYPS webpage Covid-19 | CYPSinfo . Please follow the steps and contact us if any queries arise. We can advise on further measures e.g. face coverings, cohorting etc if there are particular concerns about on site transmission.
The easiest and most efficient way of reporting cases to us is via email; education.COVID19@northyorks.gov.uk the team can quickly triage cases and get in touch to obtain further information or to give advice if required. If possible, please include initials of the individuals, dates and type of test and any other relevant information (such as circumstances of connection between cases). Alternatively, you can call 01609 534037 to leave a message for the team.
We know that you are well aware of the key messages, which remain vitally important in reducing the risk of Covid transmission within schools. Please take the opportunity of a new start to refresh these messages and ‘reminders’ for the start of term.
1. Ensure good hygiene for everyone
Frequent and thorough hand cleaning is now regular practice. We will continue to ensure that pupils clean their hands regularly. This can be done with soap and water or hand sanitiser.
The ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ approach continues to be very important.
Most staff in schools will not require PPE beyond what they would normally need for their work. The guidance on the use of PPE in education, childcare and children’s social care settings provides more information on the use of PPE for COVID-19.
2. Maintain appropriate cleaning regimes, using standard products such as detergents
You should put in place and maintain an appropriate cleaning schedule. This should include regular cleaning of areas and equipment (for example, twice per day), with a particular focus on frequently touched surfaces.
3. Keep occupied spaces well ventilated
When your school is in operation, it is important to ensure it is well ventilated and that a comfortable teaching environment is maintained.
You should identify any poorly ventilated spaces as part of your risk assessment and take steps to improve fresh air flow in these areas, giving particular consideration when holding events where visitors such as parents are on site, for example, school plays.
4. Follow public health advice on testing, self-isolation and managing confirmed cases of COVID-19
Pupils, staff and other adults should follow public health advice on when to self-isolate and what to do. They should not come into school if they have symptoms, have had a positive test result or other reasons requiring them to stay at home due to the risk of them passing on COVID-19 (for example, they are required to quarantine).
If anyone in your school develops COVID-19 symptoms, however mild, you should send them home and they should follow public health advice.
If a pupil in a boarding school shows symptoms, they should usually self-isolate in their residential setting so that their usual support can continue, others may then benefit from self-isolating in their family home.
For everyone with symptoms, they should avoid using public transport and, wherever possible, be collected by a member of their family or household.
If a pupil is awaiting collection, they should be left in a room on their own if possible and safe to do so. A window should be opened for fresh air ventilation if possible. Appropriate PPE should also be used if close contact is necessary. Further information on this can be found in the use of PPE in education, childcare and children’s social care settings guidance. Any rooms they use should be cleaned after they have left.
The household (including any siblings) should follow the PHE stay at home guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection.
5. Asymptomatic testing
Testing remains important in reducing the risk of transmission of infection within schools. It has proven to be an extremely effective method of avoiding asymptomatic infectious individuals from attending education settings.
As pupils will potentially mix with lots of other people during the summer holidays, all secondary school pupils should receive 2 on-site lateral flow device tests, 3 to 5 days apart, on their return in the autumn term.
Settings may commence testing from 3 working days before the start of term and can stagger return of pupils across the first week to manage this. Pupils should then continue to test twice weekly at home until the end of September, when this will be reviewed.
Staff should continue to undertake twice weekly home tests whenever they are on site until the end of September, when this will be reviewed.