Management Information Sheet

We hope you have found time for some rest and recuperation over the summer, despite the lack of sunshine here in Norfolk.

Prior to the summer break we detailed in MI Sheets 126/21 and 131/21 details of the final roadmap step (Step 4) and transition out of lockdown.

Following publication of updated government guidance on Managing coronavirus (COVID-19) in education and childcare settings we have continued our review of Coronavirus (COVID-19) health, safety and wellbeing guidance over the summer and have detailed relevant updates for you below.

Isolation Rules

Positive and symptomatic people do still need to isolate

Anyone with COVID-19 symptoms or a positive test result should stay at home and self-isolate immediately. Anyone who has symptoms of COVID-19, should arrange to have a PCR test as soon as possible. This still applies even if they have received one or more doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Close contact exemptions from isolation

The guidance for close contacts has been updated. For full details, please see:

• Guidance for contacts of a person with possible or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection in their household
• Guidance for contacts of people with confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection who do not live with the person

The guidance is written from a default perspective that close contacts need to isolate, however the guidance then goes on to confirm that there are contacts who are exempt and not required to self-isolate from 16 August. A large number of people will be exempt from isolation as a contact.

From 16 August, people will not be required to self-isolate if they are notified they have had close contact with someone with COVID-19 and any of the following apply:

• You are fully vaccinated (and at least 14 days have passed since you received the recommended doses of that vaccine)
• You are below the age of 18 years 6 months
• You have taken part in or are currently part of an approved COVID-19 vaccine trial
• You are not able to get vaccinated for medical reasons

Contact Tracing

Since 19 July, education and childcare settings are no longer asked to carry out routine contact tracing. From this point onwards, close contacts will be identified and contacted by NHS Test and Trace. This link to the contact tracing journey in education and childcare settings may be useful in understanding this further.

NHS Test and Trace will contact all people who have been identified as a contact and check whether they are legally required to self-isolate. If they are not legally required to self-isolate they will be advised to have a PCR test as soon as possible (where the close contact is under 5 this will only be advised where they are a close contact of a positive case from their household).

Settings should not seek confirmation that a pupil/student has undertaken a PCR and children should be allowed to continue to attend their educational setting as normal while awaiting the results of their PCR. They do not need to wear a face covering within the setting but it is expected and recommended that these are worn when travelling on public or dedicated transport.

The revised Management of Cases guidance gives advice on what you should consider when assessing the risk of staff who are identified as close contacts.

All previous versions of contact tracing letter templates have been removed from the online library and there is now a single letter template to support messaging around the new approach to contact tracing.

Norfolk Guidance

Management of Cases guidance

The Management of Cases guidance has been updated and we highly recommend you review this as part of your preparations for the new academic year. Following the government's move to step 4 of the roadmap, it is expected that COVID-19 prevalence will continue in the community for some time to come. This guidance identifies new approaches to living with the virus and details considerations for your contingency/outbreak management plans.

The guidance contains thresholds to work out if you have an outbreak of significance and when you can notify Norfolk Outbreak Management Centre (NOMC) via the new online form if you feel you require support.

You can notify NOMC if the following thresholds are met:

• Whichever is reached first of: There are 5 or more or 10% or more confirmed cases in a group (including pupils, students, children, staff) who are likely to have mixed closely in the previous 10 days. Identifying a group who are likely to have mixed closely will be different in each setting, examples of a group could include class, sports teams, wrap around care, performance groups, year groups, a group that uses the same dedicated school transport vehicle; OR
• 10% or more of all staff been confirmed as positive for COVID-19 in the previous 10 days; OR
• Any positive case of COVID in a small setting (with a capacity of less than 20 including staff and children/young people); OR
• Any positive case of COVID-19 case in a Special Education Needs setting; OR
• Any positive case of COVID-19 in a boarding or residential setting; OR
• Any positive case is admitted to hospital as a result of COVID-19; OR
• The setting has concerns about the operational running of the setting, the impact on education and learning or the impact on vulnerable pupils as a result of case numbers or if they are concerned for any other reason

For settings with Asymptomatic testing Sites (ATS) in place and who are testing students and staff after the summer holidays, these thresholds only apply after the initial two tests are complete. Cases identified in the test-on-return period should not trigger extra measures or escalation to the NOMC.

Please note: In order to identify when any of these thresholds have been met you will need to keep a record of all positive cases notified to you by staff/parents/carers. This is not to be confused with contact tracing which will be undertaken by NHS Test and Trace.

When and how to Contact NOMC

If the Management of Cases guidance thresholds are met in your setting you may have an outbreak of significance and if you need support you can notify Norfolk Outbreak Management Centre (NOMC) of the threshold being met via the new online form.

Education settings do not need to notify NOMC of cases that do not meet these thresholds.

For general enquiries or support where a threshold has not been met, settings can contact the NOMC for advice on phnorfolkomc@norfolk.gov.uk. For urgent enquiries the NOMC can be contacted on 01603 223219 (Monday to Friday: 08:00 to 17:00, Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays: 09:00 to 13:00).

Other Norfolk Guidance

All the guidance on the Norfolk Schools website pages have been reviewed over the summer. We have removed the guidance that is no longer applicable and updated most other guidance in relation to:

• Changes in controls requirements
• Contingency/outbreak planning
• Individual risk assessment
• Isolation requirements
• PPE requirements
• Testing
• Letter templates

Testing

Twice weekly asymptomatic testing continues

Although twice weekly asymptomatic LFD testing continues, Primary school-aged children and younger still do not need to do this. Testing continues to be important to help identify people who may be positive without symptoms so they can take quick action to isolate and help stop the virus spreading.

Even if you're vaccinated, there's still a chance you can pass COVID-19 on, so you should keep getting tested regularly and encourage pupils and students to do the same.

Public Health England have resources that can help you to promote testing and vaccination.

Changes to lateral flow device (LFD) self-test kits for testing at home

The types of LFD self-test kits for at-home testing are changing. There are three different types of LFD self-test kits.

You should now expect to receive Innova (throat and nose swabs), Orient Gene or Acon-Flowflex (nasal only) self-test kits. The instructions on how to use each of these types of test kits for use at home can be found in the test kit packaging. Note the instructions are slightly different for each test and it is important that they are followed correctly.

You should continue to distribute any self-test kits you already have in stock and only place an order for additional test kits through the online reordering system when your stock of these is running low. This includes using any remaining Innova test kits including those supplied as a parcel of three.

Please note: Secondary schools and colleges will continue to receive Orient Gene test kits for use onsite in ATS. Instructions on how to use these kits can be found on the document sharing platform with further advice in our MI Sheet 131/21.