Reporting Positive Covid-19 Cases over the Christmas Holiday- procedure in response to DFE guidance that requires schools to carry out contract tracing from 18th-23rd December

If your child develops Covid-19 symptoms within 48 hours of last being in college and then tests positive for Covid-19 you must report this to the college so that we can inform anyone they have been in contact with that they must self-isolate.

The only way to do this during the Christmas holidays is by emailing covid@stmichaelscollege.org.uk and you will then sent a link to a Google form to complete.

The college building and phone lines will be closed from 18th December – 4th January-please do not email the contact email or any other member of staff to report a positive Covid-19 cases as the message will not be seen.

Please note this inbox will be checked daily between 9:30-11am only from 18th -23rd December

The inbox will not be monitored after 11am on Wednesday 23rd December

Being notified your child is a contact of a positive case

Any student who is identified as a direct/proximity contact as a result of a positive case reported during this time will be notified and informed that they are required to self-isolate for 10 days in line with government guidelines.

You will be contacted by Edulink email and text message advising you of this. Please note we will not be making phonecalls.

Positive Covid cases after 23rd December

If your child tests positive more than 48 hours since last being in college, then you should follow contract tracing instructions provided by NHS Test and Trace and your child and your household should isolate for the required period.

Reporting that your child is required to isolate at the start of term in January

If your child is required to isolate at the start of term in January because they/someone in your household has tested positive for Covid 19 during the Christmas holidays please email covid@stmichaelscollege.org.uk from 3rd January onwards with a screen shot of the positive test result along with the details of your isolation period so that the absence can be authorised.

Returning to the UK form overseas at the end of the Christmas break

The government and foreign office continues to advise against travel to countries not on the foreign office exemption list and if you plan to go against this advice and travel to one of those countries during the Christmas break with your child they will be required to quarantine for 10 days upon their return. If students miss the start of term due to quarantining for this reason absence will not be authorised.

It is important that these procedures are followed so that other staff are not unnecessarily contacted during the Christmas break and to allow the staff who are doing the tracing to respond promptly within a set time frame.

Thank you for your co-operation and support with these instructions.

Ms Corcoran

Principal