Latest Government Guidance Regarding Covid
On Tuesday 29 March, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, set out the next steps for living with COVID-19 in England, effective from Friday 1 April. Free COVID-19 tests will continue to be available for specific groups, including eligible patients and NHS staff, once the universal testing offer ends on Friday 1 April 2022. School employees and pupils are no longer legally required to self-isolate and updated government guidance advises the following:
- adults with the symptoms of a respiratory infection, such as COVID-19, and who have a high temperature and do not feel well enough to go to work or carry out normal activities, should try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people until they feel well enough to resume normal activities and they no longer have a high temperature.
- Children and young people with mild symptoms such as a runny nose, sore throat, or slight cough, who are otherwise well, can continue to attend their education setting. However, children and young people who are unwell and have a high temperature should stay at home and avoid contact with other people. They can go back to school, college or childcare when they no longer have a high temperature, and they are well enough to attend.
- Adults with a positive COVID-19 test result should try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for 5 days, which is when they are most infectious. For children and young people aged 18 and under, who have a positive test result, the advice will be to stay at home for 3 days. After 3 days, the risk of a child or young person aged under 18 years passing the infection on to others is much lower as children tend to be infectious to other people for less time than adults.
- It is particularly important to avoid contact with anyone who is known to be at higher risk of becoming seriously unwell if they are infected with COVID-19 and other respiratory infections. There is separate guidance for people who have been informed by the NHS that they are at highest risk , despite vaccination, of becoming seriously unwell and who might be eligible for new COVID-19 treatments.
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If you leave your home while you have symptoms of a respiratory infection, and you have a high temperature or feel unwell, you are advised to avoid close contact with anyone who you know is at higher risk of becoming seriously unwell, especially those whose immune system means that they are at higher risk of serious illness, despite vaccination.
The following actions will reduce the chance of passing on your infection to others:
- wearing a well-fitting face covering made with multiple layers or a surgical face mask
- avoiding crowded places such as public transport, large social gatherings, or anywhere that is enclosed or poorly ventilated
- taking any exercise outdoors in places where you will not have close contact with other people
- covering your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze; wash your hands frequently with soap and water for 20 seconds or use hand sanitiser after coughing, sneezing and blowing your nose and before you eat or handle food; avoid touching your face
Click on the links below to access the latest up to date information from the NHS and UK government
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus