CORONAVIRUS
TARGETED COVID-19 testing has begun at a handful of schools in Calderdale.
The lateral flow tests arrived at five schools and Calderdale College this week as part of a pilot scheme.
Ryburn Valley High School, The North Halifax Grammar School, The Halifax Academy, Holy Trinity Primary School, Tuel Lane Infant School and Calderdale College received a month’s worth of lateral flow tests.
School and college staff will be tested at least once a week, with more than 2,000 tests due to be taken in one week alone.
The supplies already delivered will cover the period up until the Christmas holidays and the return to school in January.
The Council’s School Nursing Team has trained school staff to administer the tests themselves.
EVERY secondary school and college in England will be given access to the tests from next month.
Liz Whetham, head teacher at Holy Trinity Primary School, said: “I think it’s a really good thing that it’s happening in Calderdale schools.
“It’s a sensible, targeted approach where we can get a number of adults tested in a very short space of time, it gives some additional reassurance to those working in schools, we know that children with Covid are often asymptomatic, so we never know whether children may or may not have had Covid and passed it onto the adults, so it’s giving a level of reassurance to staff that if they get it, they’re going to know about it very quickly. It will also reduce transmission rates.
“We have got really effective systems in place for home learning and therefore the likelihood is this testing will increase the number of positive cases in the first instance because of people who are asymptomatic will be picked up. So it’s come at a good time. We’ve had a number of bubbles close here and move to home learning, and we’ve ironed out any issues we had, so if we have any more cases, we can continue with the childrens’ home learning.”
Julia Gray, Vice Principal for Quality and People Services at Calderdale College, said: “It’s important that we all do our bit to stop the spread of Covid-19 in our community, so we’re pleased that we’re able to offer regular screening to staff from this week.
“By doing these lateral flow tests twice a week, we can pick up asymptomatic cases and prevent our people from spreading the disease unknowingly.
“It’s been a difficult year for all, and with many students having missed out on essential time in education in the early stages of the pandemic, we want
It’s important that we all do our bit to stop the spread of Covid-19 in our community
to do everything we can to stay open and provide the best possible environment to work and learn in. We will initially start by offering tests to staff, before rolling it out to targeted student groups in the New Year.”
Andrew Fisher, Principal at North Halifax Grammar School, said: “North Halifax Grammar school has received a consignment of Covid-19 lateral flow tests to pilot the use of mass testing. This will allow participating staff to begin self-testing from next week. We have also received enough test kits to allow us to test two year groups’ worth of students.
“At present, we are hoping to be able to offer tests to students in Years 11 and 13 immediately after the school holidays. With luck - quite a lot of it - this might allow us to run the mock exams scheduled for next half term.
I do need to stress that no student will be compelled to take a test and tests will only be available to those students whose parents have given informed consent.”
WHAT DO YOU THINK Have you received the Covid-19 test yet?
Julia Gray, Calderdale College
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