Dear Parents and Carers,

I am writing to clarify the expectations around reporting cases of COVID19 and undertaking contact tracing over the Christmas holiday period.

As you know schools have played a vital role in reducing the spread of COVID19 over the last 9 months. One way in which they have done this is by undertaking contact tracing on behalf of the Essex Contact Tracing team. They identify any individuals who have been in close contact at school with someone who has tested positive for COVID19, during the time that is considered the contagious period. This is from 2 days before the person’s symptoms are displayed. Those individuals are then required to self-isolate for 10 days because they are at risk of having contracted COVID19 and being contagious themselves.

This contact tracing will not be taking place in the usual way during the Christmas break when schools are closed and there is less chance of school-based contacts existing.

Please follow the guidance below if your child begins to show symptoms of COVID19 during the Christmas break.

If your child develops symptoms of COVID19 within 48 hours of being in school

You must seek a test for your child and the household must isolate at home until the test result is returned. You should let the school know that this has occurred.

The quickest way to obtain a test is to book a test at your local testing centre via https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test. Please do not use postal tests unless absolutely necessary as these take longer.

If the test result is positive for COVID19, you must inform the school, who will identify if there are any other individuals within the school community who are impacted by this.

If the test result is negative, you should inform the school and you do not need to take any further action.

*Please note new email address.

You should contact the school on covidinfo@milwards.essex.sch.uk 

Emails will be checked between the hours of 10-11am and 3.30-4.30pm

You must provide the following:

• Name
• date of symptoms starting
• date test result received
• Please provide evidence of this result.

If your child develops symptoms of COVID19 more than 48 hours after their last day in school

You must seek a test for your child and the household must isolate at home until the test result is returned.

If the test result is positive for COVID-19, having developed symptoms more than 48 hours since being in school, (Monday 21^st December onwards) you must contact NHS Test and Trace and follow the advice given by them:

www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/testing-and-tracing/

You should contact the school if your child will be absent, in time for the first day of the new term.

If your child has no symptoms of COVID19 but tests positive within 48 hours of being in school

It is important to follow the guidance around accessing a test only when the individual is showing signs of COVID19. However, if your child is asymptomatic and returns a positive test result within 48 hours of last being in school, please let the school know straight away.

*Please note new email address

You should contact the school on covidinfo@milwards.essex.sch.uk 

Emails will be checked between the hours of 10:00 -11:00am and 3:30 - 4:30pm

You must provide the following:

• Name
• date of symptoms starting
• date test result received
• Please provide evidence of this result.

If you are contacted by the school because your child is identified as a close contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID19, they must self-isolate for 10 days.

I would encourage you to adhere to social distancing and all COVID19 social mixing guidance for the remainder of term to reduce the risk of transmission of the virus as the last thing we want is anyone being unwell or required to self-isolate over the holiday period.

Thank you for your cooperation and ongoing support.

Yours sincerely

Linda Chesworth

Head Teacher