Dear Parents and Carers
I am writing to inform you that we have been made aware of a Crofton Student in Year 10 who has tested positive for COVID 19. We know that you may find this concerning but 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 to support your child. Please be reassured that for most people, coronavirus (COVID-19) will be a mild illness. The small number of children who have been in close contact with the individual who has tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) will receive an email later today informing them that their child must stay at home for the required self-isolation period. Therefore, please regularly check the email account for the address you have supplied to the school over the weekend for any further contact we may need to make with you individually. The school remains open and your child should continue to attend as normal if they remain well and are not instructed to self-isolate.
You do not need to take any further action at this stage, and we have been assured by Public Health England that no further changes to our control measures in school are required. However, the following are some reminders of current public health advice.
Please note that this is the current information we are required to share from the Public Health England template, but are aware that the government intends to change the 14 day self-isolation period to 10 days from Monday and this applies retrospectively. Therefore, please ensure you refer to the most up to date guidance online should you need to follow any of this advice.
What to do if your child develops symptoms of COVID 19
If your child develops symptoms of COVID-19, they must not come to school and 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.
All other household members who remain well, must stay at home and not leave the house for 14 days. This includes anyone in your ‘Support Bubble’.
Further information is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-households-with-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection
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 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 14 days will greatly reduce the overall amount of infection the household could pass on to others in the community
If you are able, 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 common symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) are recent onset of:
· a new continuous cough
· a high temperature
· a loss of, or change in, your 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.
School note: please be aware that although the general government advice above on symptoms covers the three main symptoms, there are other symptoms that some evidence suggests may be seen in children. The links above provide more information on this and of course do contact NHS 111 if you have any concerns about this.
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/ and on the school website at https://www.croftonschool.co.uk/coronavirus . We will of course update you should there be any further developments. Should you need to contact the school about this over the remainder of the weekend please email safeguarding@croftonschool.co.uk or via the usual school contact details for any non-urgent communications that can be responded to on Monday.
Yours faithfully
Mr S Harrison
Headteacher
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