Schools and Early Years Settings COVID-19 Outbreak Guide
Schools & Early Years Settings COVID-19 Outbreak Guide[34663]
Sent on behalf of Daniel Flecknoe, Consultant in Public Health, Buckinghamshire Council
Dear Colleagues,
Please find attached a guidance document intended to help schools and early years settings to prepare for possible COVID-19 outbreaks or cases during the Autumn term. This has been prepared by the Buckinghamshire Council public health team and provides important contact details as well as an explanation of the collaborative process which the Local Authority and Public Health England would initiate with you to control any such outbreak.
Also, you may have heard that the Department for Education is sending out a small supply of postal COVID-19 test kits to all schools. We would encourage all our colleagues in education to consider carefully the circumstances under which these should be used. The public health team recommend that these test kits only be given out to pupils who are being sent home with COVID-19 symptoms if they meet certain criteria. If you consider that the pupil is a) a potentially vulnerable child who would be disproportionately harmed by time out of school, and b) less likely to be taken for testing by their parents or guardians, then this would be an entirely appropriate use for one of the test kits. If you have any questions about this please contact publichealth@buckinghamshire.gov.uk
Regards,
Dan
Daniel Flecknoe
Consultant in Public Health
Adults and Health Directorate
Buckinghamshire Council
01296 387054
Buckinghamshire Association of School Governors