Contact tracing - February half-term
Schools have been asked to support contact tracing over half term until Wednesday 17th February.
If your child tests positive by the morning of Wednesday 17th February having developed symptoms on Saturday 13th February or Sunday 14th February, please email us at:
covid@wellington.towerhamlets.sch.uk
Please provide the following information:
- Name and year group of your child
- The date on which they developed symptoms
- The date the test was taken
- The date the positive result was received
- The date of the last day they were in school
We will then let families of close contacts know that their child will need to isolate.
This inbox will be checked each morning until Wednesday 17th February. You do not need to let us know if your child develops symptoms after Sunday 14th February or tests positive after Wednesday 17th February.
Contact tracing - Notification that your child is a close contact of a positive case
If you have received a text message from us to say your child has been a close contact of someone who has tested positive:
- Your child should self-isolate until the date given in the text message and only get tested if they develop symptoms
- Your household members do not need to self-isolate
- Your child should stay at home
- no household visitors
- they should not go out
In line with the national guidance, your child must stay at home and self-isolate until the date given in the text. If your child is well at the end of the 10 days period of self-isolation, then they can return to their usual activities, including school.
Other members of your household can continue normal activities provided your child does not develop symptoms within the 10-day self-isolation period.
Please see the link below that gives ‘guidance for contacts of people with confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection who do not live with the person’:
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 this can be arranged via https://www.nhs.uk/ask-for-a-coronavirus-test or by calling 119.
People who do not have symptoms should not request a test unless this has been specifically requested by Public Health England or the local authority. All other household members who remain well must stay at home and not leave the house for 10 days. This includes anyone in your ‘Support Bubble’.
The 10-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 you require help with buying groceries, other shopping or picking up medication, or walking a dog, you should ask friends or family. Alternatively, you can order your shopping online and medication by phone or online.
Household members staying at home for 10 days will greatly reduce the overall amount of infection the household could pass on to others in the community. If you can, 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.
Please see the link to the PHE ‘Stay at Home’ Guidance: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-households-with-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection
Symptoms of COVID-19:
The most common symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) are recent onset of:
- new continuous cough and/or
- high temperature and/or
- a loss of, or change in, normal sense of taste or smell (anosmia)
For most people, coronavirus (COVID-19) will be a mild illness.
If your child does develop symptoms, you can seek advice from the nhs.uk website at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/check-if-you-have-coronavirus-symptoms/. If you are concerned about your child’s symptoms, or they are worsening you can seek advice from NHS 111 at https://111.nhs.uk/ 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. These are:
- 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/