- As half term comes to an end, the Education Secretary urges
students and their families to take a test before returning to
the classroom
- 50 million tests taken so far, demonstrating staff and
students’ commitment to keeping schools and colleges safe and
open
- Regular testing twice a week remains best way to find the 1
in 3 asymptomatic cases of the virus
Education Secretary is urging
all secondary school and college students and their families to
take a coronavirus test before returning to school next week
following the half-term break.
A major testing programme has been in place for students since
schools returned in March to identify asymptomatic cases and
isolate them as quickly as possible, helping to keep schools
open.
Figures published earlier this week show more than 50 million
rapid coronavirus tests have now been conducted by students and
staff at schools and colleges across England since 04 January,
with next week’s data likely to pass the 50 million milestone.
Building regular twice-weekly testing into routines has been
critical in reaching this milestone number of tests, and is
testament to the dedication of students and staff to keep the
virus out of schools and colleges.
Rapid testing continues to help find the one in three people with
Covid-19 who show no symptoms, allowing them to isolate rather
than unknowingly spread the virus, preventing outbreaks from
taking hold.
Education Secretary
said:
“A year ago it was unimaginable to suggest that a testing
programme of this scale and impact could be delivered at the
speed we have seen, and I am hugely grateful to the families,
students and all those working in education for their role in
making it happen.
“Asymptomatic testing helps break chains of transmission by
taking people who are infectious but don’t know it out of
circulation.
“As the half term comes to an end, take a covid test before going
back to the classroom."
Health Minister said:
“Rapid testing has underpinned the entire reopening of schools
and it’s been a remarkable success that is testament to the
herculean efforts of teachers, children and parents playing their
part by making a test part of their everyday lives.
“Around one in three people who have COVID-19 experience no
symptoms and could go under the radar without regular testing. By
getting tested multiple times a weeks, children have shown us
that it is possible to keep the things we all love open by
quickly identifying outbreaks and taking decisive action.
“As parents gear up to return their children to the classroom
tomorrow, I’d urge them all to carry on doing their bit by
keeping calm and carrying on testing during the term ahead.”
Covid-related pupil absence has remained consistently low since
the start of the summer term, with only approximately 1% of
pupils absent from state-funded schools for covid-related reasons
each day since 21 April.
Surge testing is also available in areas of high prevalence of
the virus or variants of concern, including on-site testing in
selected schools and colleges to provide an additional boost to
efforts to keep the virus under control across the country.
Secondary schools and colleges continue to provide packs of tests
to their students so they can take two tests a week. Primary
schools are also providing packs to their staff.
Everyone is encouraged to test twice a week, with one of the two
tests at the weekend to catch cases before starting the new
school week. Testing before returning to school after the
half-term break will be particularly important after mixing with
different groups over the break.
Anyone not working from home is encouraged to follow a similar
routine.
With national rates of the virus now much lower than they were,
positive cases identified by rapid testing are confirmed with a
PCR test, meaning nobody has to worry about isolating
unnecessarily following a positive rapid test result.
