REVEALED: CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK PLAN FOR SCHOOLS
NEW plans have been produced outlining what will happen if a child or staff member develops coronavirus symptoms in Coventry schools.
Coventry city council has drafted up a 16-page schools protocol ahead of all children returning to educational settings for the new autumn term in September.
The plans, titled ‘Response to Covid-19 symptoms and cases Coventry schools,’ outlines four scenarios schools will have to respond to, including:
Scenario A: Where one person within a school has coronavirus symptoms.
Scenario B: Where two or more people within a school has coronavirus symptoms.
Scenario C: A geographical community coronavirus outbreak.
Scenario D: A Coventry-wide coronavirus outbreak.
Kirston Nelson, director of education at the city council, told councillors this week that the that draft plan could be signed off after a government announcement on the national reopening of schools on August 11, with any final changes dependent on local data.
Among the new stringent measures proposed is the recommendation schools keep a record of pupils and staff in each group or ‘bubble,’ and any close contact from different groups. If a person tests positive, a rapid risk assessment will be carried out to confirm who has been in close contact with the person from two days before they had symptoms.
The majority of schools will remain open even if two or more individuals develop Covid-19 symptoms, unless a risk assessment points to further action, where the council can direct a school closure.
If there is a geographical outbreak or Coventrywide outbreak, all or some schools in that area could be ordered to close.
However the council plan has also suggested the closure of workplaces “may be more effective in reducing spread” in a city-wide scenario.
Coventry’s cabinet member for education Cllr Kevin Maton said the city is “as well prepared as it could be” for the return of all pupils in September and wanted parents to have “confidence” in sending their children back to school.
He said: “The work that has been done - and if there are no changes to the situation in Coventry - is what would happen.
“The most important thing is schools are introducing these procedures about hand washing and what is going to happen if there is an outbreak.
“Confidence is crucial and once people start losing that and the general morale that is there that is a very different situation.
“The key is if parents have concerns to contact the school head to ask about the measures.
“There are opportunities for schools to be able to discuss what they have in place and parents just need to know schools have not just downloaded a guide from somewhere else, but there are individual things that are happening in schools to reflect the needs there.”
The draft plans can be seen at bit.ly/3kkb3ce.
In all instances, pupils or staff should not come to school if:
They have coronavirus symptoms.
They have tested positive for Covid-19 in the last seven days.
They are in a household or support bubble where individuals have tested positive in the last 14 days.
They have been advised by the NHS Test and Trace programme to stay at home.
A “closure” of a school could mean a full school closure or a closure similar to the first national lockdown where vulnerable children and children of key workers still had the opportunity to attend schools.
Scenario A: Where one person within a school has coronavirus symptoms.
What the school must do if someone develops symptoms:
The individual will be sent home, with parents or carers contacted for collection.
Public Health England and the local authority will be alerted and the child must have a Covid19 test arranged by their parent or carer.
Staff caring for the individual while they wait for a pickup must wear PPE if less than two metres.
The symptomatic person must use a separate bathroom if they need the toilet.
Anything the individual has come into contact with must be disinfected with disposable cloths, paper roll and mop heads which are then doublebagged, tied, and dis