Under-fives to be offered Covid-19 test
CHILDREN younger than five will be able to get a routine test for coronavirus if they show symptoms, as infants return to childminders and nurseries.
The move is aimed at preventing the need for parents and families to isolate if young children have symptoms.
Children are expected to often develop symptoms such as a cough when they are mixing with other children – but it may not be coronavirus. From today they will be eligible for a test.
Until now they have only been able to get a test if there is a pressing clinical need – such as if they need to be admitted to hospital or are already in hospital and their condition unexpectedly deteriorates.
However, with the restarting of childcare services, coronavirus-like symptoms are likely.
Routine testing is available through options including drivein regional testing centres, mobile testing units and by ordering a home test kit.
Gregor Smith, Interim Chief Medical Officer, said: “In light of the continued change in lockdown restrictions and the resumption of early learning and childcare, we have reviewed our testing policy for children under five.
“We want to avoid households having to isolate unnecessarily if young children in their family are displaying coronavirus-like symptoms which can be common in this age group.
“I would encourage anyone who has symptoms of Covid-19, or whose child has symptoms, to get a test immediately to help us suppress the spread of the virus.”
The change in testing comes as more cases have been reported as lockdown restrictions ease.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said that the cases in a call centre in Lanarkshire are evidence that we cannot “drop our guard” and allow the virus to start spreading rapidly once more.
She said: “It is a sharp reminder that if we allow it to, it will spread rapidly. That said, a great deal of work is being done to follow up the cases and break the chain of transmission.”
She said cases were still at at “relatively low level”.
Sturgeon said she would be chairing a meeting of the Scottish Government’s resilience group to examine the evidence and to discuss what, if any, specific measures for the Lanarkshire area were needed in light of the new cases.
The Sitel call centre in Motherwell, which was used as a test and trace centre for NHS England, remains closed until further notice.
The latest statistics show there were 22 new cases, 14 linked to the call centre in Lanarkshire.
There are 618 people in hospital with suspected or confirmed coronavirus – rising by 51, but only up four in confirmed cases.
There are four people in intensive care with confirmed coronavirus, which is an increase of one.
There were no new deaths recorded.
There have now been 4918 confirmed coronavirus cases in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde healthboard – up by four on the previous day.