Update on positive cases that William Gilpin Primary School has been informed about in the last 10 days:

(please note - from 11th January, positive lateral-flow tests of asymptomatic people do not need to be confirmed by a PCR-test)

17 Jan - From the UK Health Security Agency website:  The self-isolation advice for people with coronavirus (COVID-19) has changed.

Your self-isolation period starts immediately from when your symptoms started, or, if you do not have any symptoms, from when your positive LFD or PCR test was taken, whichever test was taken first. Your self-isolation period includes the day your symptoms started (or the day your test was taken if you do not have symptoms), and the next 10 full days. It may be possible to end your self-isolation earlier.

You may be able to end your self-isolation period before the end of the 10 full days. You can take an LFD test from 5 days after the day your symptoms started (or the day your test was taken if you did not have symptoms), and another LFD test on the following day. If both these test results are negative, and you do not have a high temperature, you may end your self-isolation after the second negative test result.

As at 21st January:

Oak Class - 5 positive cases 

Pine Class - 1 positive case

Beech Class - 1 positive case

Maple Class - 1 positive case

Thresholds for an outbreak in Oak class as detailed below are no longer met.

Across the school, enhanced Covid communications, enhanced hygiene, cleaning, along with ventilation measures making use of CO2 monitors are all fully in place. In addition to this, staff and adults in school are wearing face masks in communal areas.
 

We ask everyone in our community to take part in regular asymptomatic home testing (at least weekly) to support reducing any potential transmission.
 

The school continues to be prepared should we be advised by a director of public health or a HPT (Health Protection Team) that the school needs to take other measures.

DFE Definition of an Outbreak and thresholds 

The DFE have advised that settings should consider extra action if the number of positive cases substantially increases. This is because it could indicate transmission is happening in the setting. The DFE thresholds, detailed below, are to be used by settings as an indication for an outbreak and when to seek public health advice.

For most education and childcare settings, this means, extra action should be taken when, whichever of these thresholds is reached first:

• 5 children, pupils, students or staff, who are likely to have mixed closely, test positive for COVID-19 within a 10-day period
• 10% of children, pupils, students or staff who are likely to have mixed closely test positive for COVID-19 within a 10-day period

Identifying a group that is likely to have mixed closely will be different for each setting.  For schools, the DFE has shared that a group that has mixed closely could include:

• a form group or subject class
• a friendship group mixing at breaktimes
• a sports team
• a group in an after-school activity 

Links to advice from Central Government