Self-Isolation Guidance for Schools

Guidance for schools - we have just received this from the Scottish Government.

The announcement from the First Minister included some information about self-isolation in schools - she advised that entire school classes being required to isolate when a pupil tests positive is not being recommended. The advice on school isolation will continue to be risk-based.

A letter was issued to all Directors of Education from the Cabinet Secretary and Councillor McCabe yesterday to provide an update on the position regarding the current approach to contact tracing and self-isolation. The letter states that:

‘Public Health Scotland have subsequently advised that the approach should return to that as set out in the existing guidance for school settings – ie the definitions of high-risk and low risk close contacts remain in place, and the only change (from Saturday 11 December) for those aged under 18 is that, if they are a household contact of a confirmed case, they will no longer be able to leave isolation on receipt of a negative PCR result.

For completeness, therefore, the position remains that all potential contacts (whether defined as high- or low-risk) will be identified and provided with appropriate, proportionate advice on the action that should be taken in the following ways:

• Test and Protect will, through the contact tracing system, identify those contacts where there is a higher risk of transmission and ask them to self-isolate and take a PCR test; and
• other low risk contacts will be identified by schools when they are informed of positive cases, and sent information letters that advise them to take certain mitigating actions.

These actions do not require self-isolation, but include important advice on LFD testing and other mitigating actions.

This approach means that blanket isolation of whole classes will be minimised.’