We have been advised by Public Health England of three confirmed cases of COVID-19 of students over the last 7 days. The students are from different year groups and tutor groups. All three students are doing well. We do not believe the cases are linked.
We have acted immediately, followed all the relevant advice, and identified and sent home students who were in close contact with the confirmed cases. These students will now follow the guidance and self isolate for 14 days as a precaution.
We are continuing to see cases in school which reflects what is being seen both locally and nationally. Please be assured we are taking all necessary action to ensure the safety of our staff and students and through the processes we have in place we can identify close contacts and mitigate the risk of any further transmission.
Can I please reiterate some of the things we can all continue to do to ensure we are playing our part in helping to prevent transmission of the virus.
We are continuing to monitor the situation and are working closely with Public Health England. This letter is to inform you of the current situation and provide advice on how you can support.
Please be reassured that for most people, coronavirus (COVID-19) will be a mild illness.
Can I please reiterate the very important advice that has already been sent out. A child MUST self isolate as soon as a household member thinks they have symptoms to avoid this risk of wider transmission reoccurring. If the test result for the household member comes back positive then everyone in the household must continue to follow isolation guidance and inform the school.
The school remains open and providing your child remains well they can continue to attend school as normal. We will keep this under review.
What to do if your child develops symptoms of COVID 19
If your child develops symptoms of COVID-19, they should remain at home for at least 10 days from the date when their symptoms appeared. Anyone with symptoms will be eligible for testing and a tests should be arranged immediately by booking online through the NHS testing and tracing for coronavirus website, or ordered by telephone via NHS 119. Essential workers, in education or childcare, have priority access to testing.
All other household members who remain well must stay at home and not leave the house for 14 days. The 14-day period starts from the day when the first person in the house became ill. Household members should not go to work, school or public areas and exercise should be taken within the home. If household members do not stay at home as advised then they risk wider transmission of coronavirus, resulting in schools having to request other members of our school community to self-isolate. Household members staying at home for 14 days will greatly reduce the overall amount of infection the household could pass on to others in the community
If you are able to, move any vulnerable individuals (such as the elderly and those with underlying health conditions) out of your home, to stay with friends or family for the duration of the home isolation period
Symptoms - The most important symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) are recent onset of any of the following:
- a new continuous cough
- a high temperature
- a loss of, or change in, your normal sense of taste or smell (anosmia)
For most people, COVID-19 will be a mild illness. However, if you have any of the symptoms above you must stay at home and arrange to have a test to see if you have COVID-19 – go to testing to arrange. If your child or anyone in the household does develop symptoms, you can seek advice from NHS 111 at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/check-if-you-have-coronavirus-symptoms/ or by phoning 111.
How to stop COVID-19 spreading
There are things you can do to help reduce the risk of you and anyone you live with getting ill with COVID-19 Do
- wash your hands with soap and water often – do this for at least 20 seconds
- use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available
- wash your hands as soon as you get home
- cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze
- put used tissues in the bin immediately and wash your hands afterwards Further Information
Further information is available at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
Thank you for our continued support in these challenging circumstances.
Yours sincerely
Mrs C Aitcheson