Previously we reported on the government’s re-opening of schools on 8 March 2021, which explained that secondary school and college students will now be tested twice a week, receiving three initial tests at school or college before transitioning to twice weekly home testing. The article also explained that primary school children will not be regularly asymptomatically tested.
The article can be accessed here: https://valonline.org.uk/schools-reopen-8-march-asymptomatic-testing/
On 28 February 2021 the Department of Health and Social Care released a press release titled “all households with children of school age to get 2 rapid COVID-19 tests per person per week.”
In this press release it explains that twice-weekly testing using rapid lateral flow tests will be given for free to all families and households with primary, secondary school and college aged children and young people, including childcare and support bubbles, to help find more COVID-19 cases and break chains of transmission.
Twice-weekly testing will also be offered to adults working in the wider school community, including bus drivers and after school club leaders. Increasing the number of people eligible for this testing programme. Lateral flow device (LFD) testing is a fast and simple way to test people who do not have symptoms of COVID-19, but who may still be spreading the virus
The press release can be accessed here.
On 27 February 2021 the Department of Health and Social Care published the “Rapid lateral flow testing for households and bubbles of school pupils and staff” guidance.
The guidance explains that from 1 March 2021, if you’re a member of a household, childcare bubble or support bubble of staff or a pupil you can get a twice-weekly test:
- Through your employer if they offer testing to employees
- At a local test site
- By collecting a home test kit from a test site
- By ordering a home test kit online
The guidance includes a link to the interactive NHS Covid test finder. This explains where lateral flow testing sites are based, whether they are open real time, and how busy the site is.
The guidance can be accessed here.
Local VCSE organisations providing a wider school community service may find this of relevance. As well as local VCSE organisations supporting parents who have children of school age.