By Covid-19 rules for children’s return to school
North Lincolnshire Council have announced that Covid-19 rules are set to relax for schools in Scunthorpe and North Lincolnshire when kids return in September.
The aim is to gradually return to a more normal learning experience whilst public health teams continue to monitor the situation with regard to the coronavirus.
Schools will no longer require students to remain in bubbles and those under 18 will not have to self-isolate if they have had contact with somebody who has the virus.
However, they will still be asked to take a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test and, if the results come back positive, they will then have to isolate.
Face masks will not be essential in schools but should be worn on school transport.
All secondary school students will have to be tested twice at the beginning of the autumn term and should test themselves twice a week at home.
Any pupils between the ages of 12 and 15, who have any underlying health conditions or are living with people with weakened immune systems, will be offered a vaccine.
Tessa Lindfield, North Lincolnshire’s Director of Public Health, said: “School leaders and their staff have done an excellent job of keeping their pupils safe during the pandemic.
“Even with all the hard work, many pupils missed out on face-to-face learning and we now need to get back to a more stable situation.
“Attendance figures in North Lincolnshire in the summer term were higher than in many areas, though we still had disruption[s] with many pupils having to self-isolate and work remotely.
“Relaxing the guidelines will mean that self-isolation will not be a significant cause of absence – it is a national priority that education and childcare get back to operating as normal as possible.”
Tessa added: “Working with schools, we will continue to monitor the situation and only bring in extra safety measures if absolutely necessary – for example, if high numbers of pupils or staff at a school test positive.
“I am sure that pupils and their families will welcome getting back to a more normal way of learning.”
Contact Gi Scunthorpe News
Email us: scunthorpenews@gi-media.co.uk
