No send homes or school closures
Perth and Kinross Council has not had to close schools or send classes or year groups home due to COVID this term.
This is despite March seeing the highest levels of COVID-related staff absences in Perth and Kinross schools all year.
The latest Public Health Scotland figures show as of March 22 there were 153 members of PKC school staff off due to COVID.
The previous week ((March 15) saw COVID-related school staff absences in Perth and Kinross peak at 155 - the highest of the 2021/22 session.
As of March 22 there were 346 pupils absent due to COVID - 3.9 per cent of all Perth and Kinross pupils.
Pupil COVID absences were highest this term on January 28 when 5.7 per cent of local pupils were absent for COVIDrelated reasons.
COVID pupil absences peaked earlier in the session prior to Christmas rising from 5.9 per cent on December 15 to 17.5 per cent on December 22. However, isolation rules were different in December and many Perth and Kinross parents chose to keep pupils home before Christmas as a precaution.
This week a spokesperson for Perth and Kinross Council confirmed to the Perthshire Advertiser that no year groups or classes had been sent home due to a shortage of teachers/staff - as has happened elsewhere in the country.
When Perth and Kinross schools reopen after the Easter break on Tuesday, April 19 staff and secondary pupils will no longer be asked to carry out asymptomatic tests.
Earlier this month national clinical director Jason Leitch wrote to Perth and Kinross parents/guardians - and parents/guardians across the country advising them of the changes.
He said: “As you may have heard, although case rates are currently high in Scotland we believe that the epidemic is increasingly moving into a calmer phase.
“This has been made possible by remarkable progress on vaccination and people’s willingness to take it up, and by new treatments, which have both helped reduce the severity of the impact of the virus.”
He added: “We believe the time is therefore right to make further changes to the measures taken across society, including within education and childcare settings.”
Staff and pupils will still be asked to stay at home and isolate if they have symptoms, test positive, are identified as a close contact and are over 18 years and four months and not fully vaccinated, or need to self-isolate for another reason such as travel.
From the end of April testing will move to more targeted testing for clinical care with test sites closing at the end of April.
The general public will no longer be asked to get a test if they have symptoms. They will simply be asked to follow public health guidance to stay at home.
A Perth and Kinross Council spokesperson said: “Perth and Kinross Council will continue to follow Scottish Government guidance on managing the risks from COVID in schools.
“There will be some easing of restrictions, in terms of access to schools, and further information will be shared prior to the return after the Easter holidays.”