CORONAVIRUS: Advice and Information for Parents
from September 2021 to present day
Please visit this page frequently to stay updated on developments.
Parent Letter from county, September 2022
Letter to Parents - 15th March 2022
Letter to parents - 14th March 2022
8th March 2022 - Update from the Local Authority
Colin Cox – Director of Public Health – Cumbria County Council
107-117 Botchergate – Carlisle – CA1 1RD
4th March 2022
Learning to live safely with COVID-19: Guidance for parents and carers
Dear Parents and Carers,
Thank you for continuing to support the national and local COVID-19 control measures and for helping to keep staff, children, and young people in childcare and education settings safe.
Although infection rates are still high, the number of new cases of COVID-19 is dropping in all districts across Cumbria. Case rates are also decreasing in children.
On Monday 21 February the Prime Minister set out the next phase of the government’s COVID-19 response; ‘Living with COVID-19’. As such, there have been significant changes to the national guidance for people with COVID-19 and their contacts. These changes, and what they mean for childcare and education settings, are outlined below. Please note that this guidance may change again after the end of March. Further details can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-people-with-covid-19-and-their-contacts
Thank you again for your support.
Yours Sincerely,
Colin Cox
Director of Public Health
Cumbria County Council
107-117 Botchergate – Carlisle – CA1 1RD
4th March 2022
Learning to live safely with COVID-19: Guidance for parents and carers
Dear Parents and Carers,
Thank you for continuing to support the national and local COVID-19 control measures and for helping to keep staff, children, and young people in childcare and education settings safe.
Although infection rates are still high, the number of new cases of COVID-19 is dropping in all districts across Cumbria. Case rates are also decreasing in children.
On Monday 21 February the Prime Minister set out the next phase of the government’s COVID-19 response; ‘Living with COVID-19’. As such, there have been significant changes to the national guidance for people with COVID-19 and their contacts. These changes, and what they mean for childcare and education settings, are outlined below. Please note that this guidance may change again after the end of March. Further details can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-people-with-covid-19-and-their-contacts
- Staff and students in most education and childcare settings are no longer advised to undertake twice-weekly lateral flow device (LFD) tests. However, in the event of an outbreak, staff and students may be asked to carry out LFD testing for a limited time. Free LFD tests continue to be available to the public until the end of March 2022. Staff and students in a small number of settings (such as special educational needs settings) may still be advised to continue twice-weekly testing.
- Adults and children who develop one or more of the 3 main symptoms of COVID-19 (a new continuous cough, a high temperature or a change in taste or smell) are still advised to get a PCR test and stay at home until the result is known. Free PCR testing continues to be available until the end of March 2022.
- From Thursday 24 February, there is no longer a legal requirement to self-isolate following a positive COVID-19 test result. However, because COVID-19 is still circulating at quite a high level and can still be a threat to more vulnerable people, the public health advice has not changed. Therefore, adults and children who test positive are still advised to stay at home and avoid contact with other people. They can choose to start daily LFD testing 5 days after their symptoms start (or 5 days following a positive test result if they have no symptoms). Once a person has two negative LFD test results (taken on consecutive days), or they complete 10 full days of staying at home (whichever comes first), they can return to their education setting if they feel well enough to do so and they do not have a high temperature. Further details are available in the national guidance at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-people-with-covid-19-and-their-contacts.
- Note that education and childcare settings are responsible for protecting the health and wellbeing of those who attend or visit them. As such, settings can take the decision to refuse entry to a child who has tested positive, or is showing symptoms of COVID-19 if, in their reasonable judgement, it is deemed necessary to protect other pupils and staff from possible infection. Their decision would take into account all the circumstances and current public health advice.
- Adults and children who are a close contact of someone with COVID-19 are no longer required to self-isolate or take daily LFD tests. Children and young people who usually attend an education or childcare setting and who live with someone who has COVID-19 can continue to attend the setting as normal.
- Children under the age of 5, who live in the same household as someone with COVID-19, are no longer advised to stay at home for 5 days.
- Children in primary schools, who live in the same household as someone with COVID-19, are no longer advised to stay at home for 5 days and do a PCR test, or to take daily LFD tests.
Thank you again for your support.
Yours Sincerely,
Colin Cox
Director of Public Health
Cumbria County Council
28 Feb 22: Latest guidance from our government regarding self isolation
Updated Flow Chart for the government - 2 Feb 22
County Council Update on the rules and regulations - 5 Jan 22
COVID-19: Self-isolation and testing guidance for parents and carers of school or nursery age childrenYou may also receive this information from your child's school.
Cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 are rapidly increasing in Cumbria. We want to limit the spread of COVID-19 to reduce the risk of outbreaks and staff absences, this will help maintain face-to-face learning where possible.
The updated national and local guidance for people who are contacts of someone with COVID-19 are outlined below. Please take time to read it carefully (depending on the ages of your children, some sections may not be relevant).
National guidanceFrom Tuesday 14 December, the national guidance for contacts of people with COVID-19 infection changed. Further details of this guidance can be found in the national stay at home guidance and guidance for contacts of people with confirmed COVID-19 infection who do not live with the person.
This guidance says:
This is because case rates remain high in school age children, and we have continued to see a significant number of outbreaks in education settings. These have a significant impact on children and their families, affect staffing levels, and risk causing additional outbreaks in the local community.
1. Children in early years settings (aged under 5 years)Children who are close contacts of a positive case in their household
Supply of LFD tests has been a national problem recently, although the government are confident that there should be adequate supply to provide for the testing mentioned above. If you have tested positive and are not able to 'test-to-release' because you do not have a test kit, please continue to isolate until the end of the period, or until you are able to LFD test negative for 2 days in a row if earlier.
Please note:
The additional local measures outlined above are guidance from Cumbria Public Health, they are not law. However, we strongly advise parents and carers to follow them, or at the very least, follow national guidance
Cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 are rapidly increasing in Cumbria. We want to limit the spread of COVID-19 to reduce the risk of outbreaks and staff absences, this will help maintain face-to-face learning where possible.
The updated national and local guidance for people who are contacts of someone with COVID-19 are outlined below. Please take time to read it carefully (depending on the ages of your children, some sections may not be relevant).
National guidanceFrom Tuesday 14 December, the national guidance for contacts of people with COVID-19 infection changed. Further details of this guidance can be found in the national stay at home guidance and guidance for contacts of people with confirmed COVID-19 infection who do not live with the person.
This guidance says:
- Children aged 5 years and over who are a close contact of someone with COVID-19 should conduct daily lateral flow (LFD) tests.
- For children who live with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 (household contacts), the LFD tests should be taken every day for 7 days, or until the household member who has COVID-19 reaches the end of their self-isolation period if this is earlier.
- For children who are a contact of someone with COVID-19 who they DO NOT live with, the LFD tests should be taken every day for 7 days, or until 10 days after their last contact with the person who tested positive if this is earlier.
- Each LFD test should be taken before the child leaves the household for the first time that day. If they test negative on their LFD tests, they can continue to attend their education setting, and do not need to self-isolate.
- Anyone who receives a positive LFD test result, or who develops COVID-19 symptoms, should immediately self-isolate and take a PCR test. If the PCR result comes back positive, contacts must continue to self-isolate and follow the stay at home guidance. If the PCR result comes back negative, contacts can leave self-isolation but should continue to take daily LFD tests for the remainder of their daily testing period.
- Children under the age of 5 who are contacts of a positive case do not need to self-isolate or take part in daily LFD testing. However, children under 5 who are household contacts of a positive case will still be advised to get a PCR test. They do not need to isolate while waiting for the results.
This is because case rates remain high in school age children, and we have continued to see a significant number of outbreaks in education settings. These have a significant impact on children and their families, affect staffing levels, and risk causing additional outbreaks in the local community.
1. Children in early years settings (aged under 5 years)Children who are close contacts of a positive case in their household
- Our local guidance remains that children under the age of five who live in the same household as someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 are advised to stay at home for 5 days, starting from the onset of symptoms in the household contact who has tested positive (or test date if the positive case had no symptoms).
- Children are exempt from this local guidance (and can attend the setting as normal) if there are significant concerns about the impact of exclusion on the child. Children may also be contacted by NHS Test and Trace and advised to get a PCR test.
- Children under the age of 5 who are close contacts of a positive case that they do not live with should follow the national guidance. They are not required to isolate or take part in daily LFD testing.
- If the child develops symptoms of COVID-19, they should immediately isolate and get a PCR test.
- Children in primary, infant, and junior schools (aged 5 years and above), who live with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 can choose to follow the national guidance on daily LFD testing outlined above.
- If they test negative on their LFD tests, they can continue to attend their education setting, and do not need to self-isolate. Anyone who receives a positive LFD test result, or who develops COVID-19 symptoms, should immediately self-isolate and take a PCR test.
- As a local alternative to daily LFD testing, children who live in the same household as someone who has COVID-19 still have the option to stay at home. Five days after the symptoms began in the household contact who tested positive (or test date if the positive case had no symptoms), the child should get a PCR test. If the PCR is negative, they can return to school, but should isolate again immediately and get another test if they develop symptoms of COVID-19 later.
- Children are exempt from this local guidance if there are significant concerns about the impact of exclusion on the child.
- Children aged 5 years and over who are close contacts of a positive case that they do not live with should follow the national guidance on daily LFD testing.
- If they test negative on their LFD tests, they can continue to attend their education setting, and do not need to self-isolate. Anyone who receives a positive LFD test result, or who develops COVID-19 symptoms, should immediately self-isolate and take a PCR test.
- Pupils attending secondary schools who are either a close contact of a positive case in their household or who are a close contact of someone they do not live with should conduct daily LFD testing as outlined in the national guidance.
- If they test negative on their LFD tests, they can continue to attend their education setting, and do not need to self-isolate. Anyone who receives a positive LFD test result, or who develops COVID-19 symptoms, should immediately self-isolate and take a PCR test.
- Anyone who develops symptoms of COVID-19 should get a PCR test and stay at home until the result is known. Individuals informed by Test & Trace to isolate should stay at home for the time advised.
- Outside of daily testing periods, we encourage all secondary school aged children to self-test twice weekly with lateral flow devices.
- Until further notice, secondary school aged children are encouraged to wear face coverings in classrooms, indoor communal areas and on dedicated school transport unless they are exempt.
- We also recommend anyone eligible in your household gets any recommended doses of the COVID-19 vaccine if they have not done so already.
Supply of LFD tests has been a national problem recently, although the government are confident that there should be adequate supply to provide for the testing mentioned above. If you have tested positive and are not able to 'test-to-release' because you do not have a test kit, please continue to isolate until the end of the period, or until you are able to LFD test negative for 2 days in a row if earlier.
Please note:
The additional local measures outlined above are guidance from Cumbria Public Health, they are not law. However, we strongly advise parents and carers to follow them, or at the very least, follow national guidance
Parents letter - 3rd Jan 22.
Monday 3rd January 2022
Dear Parents,
Happy New Year.
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas. Schools have been in the news a lot over the past few days so I wanted to let you know that Newlaithes Junior School will be fully open as planned on Wednesday 5th January. Our systems are not changing from last term so please wear a facemask if you come to the school office or speak to a member of staff.
If you have a spare lateral flow test, we would ask you to test your child on Tuesday night as an additional precaution before coming back to school. Please do not send your child into school if they or any member of the household test positive.
Currently we are fully staffed. We will always aim keep school open but if staffing levels become too low we may need to change the way in which we operate.
Any general changes or further updates will be emailed to you and a copy placed on the school website.
I look forward to welcoming your child back into school on Wednesday.
Yours sincerely,
Mr Cannon
Headteacher
Dear Parents,
Happy New Year.
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas. Schools have been in the news a lot over the past few days so I wanted to let you know that Newlaithes Junior School will be fully open as planned on Wednesday 5th January. Our systems are not changing from last term so please wear a facemask if you come to the school office or speak to a member of staff.
If you have a spare lateral flow test, we would ask you to test your child on Tuesday night as an additional precaution before coming back to school. Please do not send your child into school if they or any member of the household test positive.
Currently we are fully staffed. We will always aim keep school open but if staffing levels become too low we may need to change the way in which we operate.
Any general changes or further updates will be emailed to you and a copy placed on the school website.
I look forward to welcoming your child back into school on Wednesday.
Yours sincerely,
Mr Cannon
Headteacher
Parent Update - 11 October 2021
Dear Parents,
Cumbria County Council have just released new guidance (summary below). Guidance for household contacts of positive cases
- Children aged 4 and under
- Children and young people between the ages of 5 and 18+6 months
We continue to have isolated cases of children staying away from school due to testing positive or isolating but numbers remain very low.
Yours sincerely,
Mr Cannon