- Significant milestone sees primary and secondary schools and
colleges conduct over 3 million tests with staff and students
since January
- 97% of all schools and colleges now ready to deliver tests to
help identify asymptomatic cases and break chains of transmission
- Figures will provide vital reassurance that schools have the
necessary testing infrastructure in place ahead of reopening,
with Prime Minister due to set out plans on 22 February
More than 3 million rapid coronavirus tests have been conducted
in schools and colleges in England since 4 January 2021, figures
published today show.
Schools and colleges have remained open to children of critical
workers and vulnerable children during national lockdown. Testing
has helped to reduce the spread of the virus in these settings,
keeping them open for those attending.
With the Prime Minister due to set out plans on 22 February for
schools to re-open in full, regular testing will provide further
reassurance to parents, students and staff that schools are safe,
and where Covid cases do occur they can be identified quickly.
97% of schools and colleges are now ready to deliver tests, and
staff and secondary and college pupils will be offered testing on
their return.
Lateral flow tests have been proven to help identify the 1 in 3
people who have coronavirus without displaying symptoms, helping
to break chains of transmission.
Testing sits alongside the existing protective measures such as
wearing face coverings in communal areas outside classrooms,
maintaining distance between staff and students where possible,
and maintaining good ventilation. All of these measures help keep
schools and colleges safe for those who attend them.
Education Secretary
said:
“At any other time, it would have been unimaginable to suggest
that a testing programme of this scale and impact could be
delivered at the speed we have seen.
“I am grateful and humbled by the actions that everyone working
in education has taken to pull together and deliver this
programme. Alongside the wider protective measures in place that
we must all continue following, this asymptomatic testing helps
break chains of transmission by taking people who are infectious
but don’t know it out of circulation.
“I hope it gives parents and students the same confidence it
gives me – that every possible action is being taken to get all
students back into education as soon as possible.”
Health and Social Care Secretary said:
“We have rolled out rapid testing in schools and universities at
great pace to help drive down transmission rates among school age
children, and college and university students.
“Having the vast majority of schools and colleges ready and able
to offer tests is a huge achievement, and I am so grateful to the
incredible staff and volunteers who have worked so hard to make
this happen.
“Around one in three people who have coronavirus have no symptoms
and will be spreading it without realising it, so rapid regular
testing offers a reliable and effective way to help keep schools
safe and children learning.”
Testing follows different models in different settings:
- 1.7 million tests have been taken on site in secondary
schools and colleges, where students are offered two tests on
their return, and staff are offered tests twice-weekly (up from
weekly in January).
- 1.7 million tests have been taken at home by primary and
maintained nursery staff, who have been offered tests
twice-weekly since late January if they are working on site.
- 0.6 million tests have been taken on site at universities
since last year, where universities are encouraged to offer tests
twice-weekly to everyone attending. This reflects that most
students are receiving remote education at university.
Any secondary schools, colleges and universities where testing
takes place on site that haven’t yet setup their testing process
are encouraged to do so, in preparation for the wider return to
education when the public health picture allows.
Critical workers in England, including early years staff, are
being prioritised for asymptomatic testing through the Community
Testing Programme, which is being rolled out to all local
authorities. We are working urgently to secure the most effective
approach to asymptomatic testing for the whole of the early years
sector and discussions continue on how to expand this.
The government remains committed to setting out plans for the
return to education on 22nd February, with students returning
from 8th March if possible.
Plans will include testing being available to all eligible staff
and students attending education from 8th March.
