Parent Message from Derby City Council

Dear parents and carers

The COVID-19 pandemic isn’t over, case numbers are still high in the community. We are working closely with local schools to keep children safe and prevent more people from falling seriously ill.

Derby City Council’s campaign ‘Let’s do the right thing for Derby’ is calling for everyone across the city to consider the safety of all Derby communities and residents by ensuring we follow these important guidelines:

Wearing a face covering in crowded or indoor settings (such as supermarkets) or on public transport and school buses.
Keeping distance between themselves and people they wouldn’t normally come into contact with.
Considering reducing the number of people your child mixes with outside school, especially for indoor clubs and activities.
Regularly washing or sanitising their hands.
Continuing to use rapid lateral flow tests (LFT) twice a week when they don’t have symptoms.

If they get a positive LFT result or develop symptoms of COVID-19, self-isolating and booking a PCR test (this is the one that gets sent off to a lab) at a local testing site* or request a postal PCR test online or by calling 119.

*The availability of PCR test appointments on the online portal is controlled nationally. We have plenty of local slots available so if a local site doesn’t come up as an option immediately we suggest trying in an hour or so.

Getting fully vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccination. Vaccines are safe, effective and evidence has shown they help to sever the link between transmission, hospitalisation and death.

Children at secondary school and college should take rapid covid-19 tests twice weekly at home, even those who have been vaccinated. The tests are easy to do and results come back within 30 minutes. You should report the results straight away, whether positive, negative or void, either online at gov.uk/report-covid19-result or by calling 119, free from your mobile or landline. If the test is positive then the person should also take a confirmatory PCR test (these are the ones that need to be sent off to a lab) and follow the latest government guidance. Around 1 in 3 people with COVID-19 have no symptoms and can spread it without knowing. Taking regular rapid tests will help give you peace of mind that your child is not spreading the virus without knowing.

If your child is under 18 and 6 months and is identified as a close contact they will not need to self-isolate. Instead, they will be advised to take a PCR test.

Schools and colleges will have plans in place on what to do if anyone at school tests positive for COVID-19, or if additional measures are needed to be reintroduced for a limited period. These measures create an environment for children and staff where the risk of transmission of infection is substantially reduced. Settings will already have been cleaning more thoroughly, promoting more frequent hand washing, doing regular testing of staff and keeping space well ventilated. Additional measures might include asking people to wear masks in communal areas, limiting indoor activities and events and reducing mixing between groups in school.

If your child has any of the main COVID-19 symptoms (a high temperature, a new continuous cough, or a loss or change to sense of smell or taste), they should not attend school or college and should stay at home. You should arrange for them to get a PCR test and tell your child’s school or college the test results. Your child should not attend school or college while you are waiting for test results, even if they are feeling better. If the test is negative, they should go to school or college as normal. If they test positive, they should continue to isolate and follow public health advice.

If your child has been identified as a close contact, you will be advised that your child takes a PCR test. They will not have to self-isolate, unless they have a positive PCR test result. Children who are aged under 5 years old who are identified as close contacts will be advised to take a PCR test if the positive case is in their own household. We would encourage all individuals to take a PCR test if advised to do so.