An update from the Department for Education

Contacting NHS Test and Trace on 119 for issues and queries about the supply, ordering and delivery of test kits 

From Wednesday 18 August 2021, please contact NHS Test and Trace on 119 for any issues or queries about the supply, ordering or delivery of test kits. The helpline is open 7am to 11pm, Monday to Sunday.

Please note that the Department for Education (DfE) COVID-19 helpline will no longer be able to respond to queries about test kit supply and logistics.

For all other enquiries about the rapid testing programme in education, please continue to contact the DfE COVID-19 helpline on 0800 046 8687. The helpline is open 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday and 10am to 6pm on Saturdays and Sundays.

Close contacts of a positive COVID-19 case in all education and childcare sectors

From Monday 16 August 2021 unvaccinated young people (up to the age of 18 years and 6 months) and fully vaccinated adults, are no longer required to self-isolate if they live in the same household as someone with COVID-19, or are a close contact of someone with COVID-19.

Those identified as a close contact will be informed by NHS Test and Trace that they have been in close contact with a positive case and advised to take a PCR test. All individuals are strongly advised to take a PCR test if advised to do so. There is no requirement to self-isolate while awaiting PCR test results and so individuals can attend their setting as usual.

Children and young people who attend an education or childcare setting and who have been identified as a close contact, should continue to attend their setting as normal.

18-year-olds will be treated in the same way as children and young people until 6 months after their 18th birthday, to allow them the opportunity to get fully vaccinated, at which point, they will be subject to the same rules as adults. If they choose not to get vaccinated once this option is available to them, they will need to self-isolate if identified as a close contact.

The DfE have updated the frequently asked questions on changes to contact tracing of close contacts and self-isolation. These can all be found on the document sharing platforms for primary and early years, secondary schools, further education and higher education and children’s social care.

Contingency planning in education and childcare sectors

The contingency framework, which outlines what should be covered within your setting’s contingency plans, has also been updated. There is no expectation for you to create new documents or reformat any existing plans to specific templates, but plans should be up to date. We need to continue to find the right balance between protecting public health and living with COVID-19 as more of the population is vaccinated.

The updated framework also includes:

• the new thresholds at which you might consider seeking public health advice and taking further action
• updates to the circumstances in which local health protection teams or directors of public health might recommend you introduce some additional measures (for example, in response to a COVID-19 outbreak)
• annexed guidance for managing cases in settings from 23 August 2021.

For secondary schools and colleges testing pupils, students and staff in asymptomatic test sites (ATS) after the summer holidays, the thresholds for seeking public health advice only applies after the initial two ATS tests are complete. Cases identified in the test-on-return period are unlikely to be indicative of transmission within the setting and so should not trigger extra measures or escalation. All test results should be recorded on the system.