Managing COVID-19 Risks in Educational Settings: Guidance for North Lincolnshire - March 3, 2022

Covid Covid- -19 19 - - Schools and Settings in North Lincolnshire Schools and Settings in North Lincolnshire What do I need to do? What do I need to do? 3rd March 2022 If you require further support When settings should consider extra action Child or staff with symptoms of Covid 19 PCR/LFD Positive result and testing during outbreak situation Guidance for early years and childcare providers Guidance for schools Guidance for further and higher education providers Guidance for local authority children s services Guidance for special schools and other specialist settings Guidance for parents and carers ALL SETTINGS including Early Years The operational guidance sets out the measures that all education settings should have in place to manage COVID-19 risk day-to-day. Contingency framework: education and childcare settings (publishing.service.gov.uk) ALL SETTINGS Child/staff member with a confirmed PCR/LFT positive test result. Please notifyNorth child/staff member with symptoms (suspected case) should follow the guidance COVID-19: people with COVID-19 and their contacts - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) LincolnshireCouncil http://s.northlinc s.gov.uk/COVID19-education For most settings, it will make sense to think about taking extra action if they face severe operational disruption to face-to-face education. Suggested thresholds for seeking public health advice: ALL SETTINGS please contact the Public Health Team in North Lincs Council: contacttracing@northlincs.gov.uk All staff and children should be advised not to attend school if they have tested positive for covid. They should return after 2 negative LFD tests on consecutive days from day 5 onwards. If you have identified risks that you cannot mitigate and need further support, contact School IPC Nurse rdash.nlschoolnurseshealthinforma tion@nhs.net a higher than previously experienced and/or rapidly increasing number of staff or child absences due to COVID-19 infection evidence of severe disease due to COVID-19, for example if a pupil, student, child or staff member is admitted to hospital due to COVID-19 a cluster of cases where there are concerns about the health needs of vulnerable staff or children within the affected group The online ordering platform remains open for education settings to access lateral flow device (LFD) test kits free of charge, but should only be used if your setting is experiencing an outbreak and you have been advised to resume testing by a director of public health, your local authority, or a local health protection team. You do NOT need to notify us of suspected cases until they are a confirmed case by PCR/LFT test If you urgently need Public Health advice outside of office hours: Regional Health Protection Team 0151 909 1219

The Public Health advice will focus on continuing to follow the behavior changes that have been embedded over the past two years: Getting vaccinated Letting fresh air in if meeting indoors, or meet outside Wearing a face covering in crowded and enclosed spaces, especially where you come into contact with people you do not usually meet, when rates of transmission are high Trying to stay at home if you are unwell Taking a test if you have COVID-19 symptoms (until 31 March), and staying at home and avoiding contact with other people if you test positive Washing your hands regularly

Living safely with Living safely with Covid Covid The Living Safely with Covid Strategy, announced on 21 February 2022, replaces the remaining legal requirements in England with advice and guidance. Self-Isolation Whilst the legal requirement to self-isolate has now been removed, the recommendation for those with Covid-19 is to stay at home and avoid contact with other people. Updated guidance for people with Covid 19 and their contacts is now available. This guidance is based upon public health and infection prevention and control principles. The UK government have now updated the guidance for settings to reflect the Living Safely with Covid Strategy. This updated guidance sets out that at present all staff and children should still isolate for a minimum of 5 days if they either have symptoms of Covid-19 or have had a positive test. Although this is no longer a legal requirement, it remains government policy and guidance. Therefore, all attendees to the school can be asked to remain at home, or return home, if they are either positive or have symptoms of Covid-19 - or other illness - in line with normal practice. Access to public health support We would like to reassure you that whilst the DfE helpline will be decommissioned on 31 March 2022, the Public Health Team remain available to provide specialist advice & guidance to schools regarding the implementation of these control measures. If you do become aware of confirmed cases within your setting, please continue to report this to us using the e form http://s.northlincs.gov.uk/COVID19- education so that we can assist and support you to take appropriate action. Please continue to use the contacttracing@northlincs.gov.uk email to contact the Public Health Team if you require advice or support.

Suggested template for documenting positive PCR/LFT cases Below is a suggested template for collecting and recording positive cases. This is the information we will request if you need a telephone contact from Public Health in North Lincolnshire Council. We will also ask: total number of pupils, teaching staff and other support staff in your school/setting if any of your pupils or staff are clinically extremely vulnerable and were previously shielding and if pupils, which year group/class current mitigations in place to reduce onward transmission, e.g enhanced cleaning, face coverings etc. PCR/LFT positive cases DATE Total number Pupils Teacher/TA Other staff Year group/class Year/class groups percentage affected of total year/class. (e.g. 5 close proximity positives in class 5 with total population 30 = 16.6%) Awaiting PCR/ results. ( e.g. 5 in class 5 and 6 in class 3)