Dear Parents/Carers,
Please read guidance received from the Department for Education for the Easter holidays.
Schools and further education providers continue to play an important role in contact tracing and the national effort to limit the Spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). We recognise the challenges of this responsibility during holidays and would like to thank everyone for their continued support. Asking establishments to provide contact tracing support is a key part of the test and trace process, as schools and further education providers hold the data about close contacts and pupil contact details. We will continue to keep these arrangements under review and will continue to try to reduce the burden on staff.
We need to ask schools and further education providers to continue with contract tracing over Easter, similar to the arrangements over Christmas.
Staff, parents and carers only need to inform the school of a positive case where they developed symptoms within 48 hours of being in their education setting. You are asked to assist in identifying close contacts and advising self-isolation, as the individual may have been infectious whilst in their education setting. Please contact via email at d.lee103@durhamlearning.net.
Where pupils or staff test positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) during the holidays, having developed symptoms more than 48 hours since being in an education settling, you are not required to take any action. Staff, students, parents and carers should follow contact tracing instructions provided by NHS Test and Trace.
Staff do not need to be available for contact tracing duties beyond the first 6 days of the Easter holidays, at which point all positive cases should be dealt with through NHS Test and Trace. This means that where a school ends face-to-face education on Friday 26th March, there will be no need to remain on-call after Thursday 1st April.
Where pupils need to self-isolate due to contact with a positive case during the holidays, settings do not need to be informed about this until the first day of the Summer term (Monday 12th April).
The Department for Education coronavirus (COVID-19) helpline 0800 046 8687 and PHE Advice Service will remain open over the Easter holidays to answer any questions you have about coronavirus (COVID- 19) relating to education settings and children’s social care.
