PHE clarifies contact testing rules for early years
By Rachel Lawler
Public Health England and NHS Test and Trace have released a on daily contact testing in schools and colleges. The update comes shortly after confusion caused by the Department for Education鈥檚 helpline on the matter.
The position statement says that the organisations 鈥渘ow recommend that the rollout of daily contact testing within schools is paused, other than for schools involved in further evaluation鈥.
Previously, secondary schools and colleges were able to use daily contact testing as an alternative to self-isolation following contact with a positive case.
However, the Alliance previously received a number of reports from early years providers who had been told that children and staff would not need to isolate following contact with a positive case if they were willing to take lateral flow tests for seven consecutive days.
Along with the incorrect advice, those who had contacted the DfE were also provided with template letters to send to parents and carers, which read:
鈥淲e have followed the national guidance and, following a risk assessment with Public Health England (PHE) advisers, have identified that your child (name) has been in close contact with the individual who has had a positive test result for coronavirus (COVID-19). In line with the national guidance, your child must stay at home and self-isolates until ADD DATE (10 days after contact) or alternatively your child can continue to attend school but must test negative every day using a Lateral Flow Test taken at the school for 7 days.鈥
The same letter provided a link to the Guidance for contacts of people with confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection who do not live with the person on Gov.uk, which makes no reference to lateral flow testing, but instead confirms that anyone receiving a negative PCR test should continue to isolate for the full 10 days, looking out for possible coronavirus symptoms.
However, those who spoke to Public Health England were told in no uncertain terms 鈥渢hat there is no guidance/policy to allow for contacts of a positive case to return to the setting with the condition of undertaking LFD tests鈥. They were also advised that 鈥渢he Children Young People Schools and Universities Team within PHE will follow up with DfE partners to ensure that incorrect information is not issued again鈥.
Testing confusion
Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Alliance, commented: 鈥淚f lateral flow testing is not a sufficient precaution to allow practitioners and children to return to settings safely, it is unforgivable that the DfE has been suggesting they may do so.
鈥淭he government has repeatedly failed to offer clear and up to date evidence that it is safe for early years settings to remain open during this latest lockdown 鈥 and has failed to include the early years settings in either mass testing, or priority vaccination plans. It now appears to be further jeopardising their safety by offering incorrect public health advice.鈥
鈥淭he Department for Education must urgently explain why its helpline is contradicting PHE and begin to repair trust with providers by being fully transparent about both its advice to the sector, and the evidence that it is safe for early years settings to continue operating.
鈥淧ractitioners are already at their wits鈥 end trying to keep up with constantly shifting government guidance, which they are frequently given just hours to implement. They are deeply anxious for the safety of their staff, their own households and the children and parents that rely on them. If the
government cannot even agree on what the guidance is, it makes the task of running an early years setting during this pandemic nigh on impossible.鈥