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Dear all,

As you might be aware, the government has issued a guidance on the reintroduction of face covering and announced changes to isolation requirements for confirmed and suspected Covid-19 cases. 

FACE COVERINGS

Face coverings help protect the wearer and others against the spread of infection and as per the government guidance on the reintroduction of face coverings:  

• are required in shops and on public transport
  
• should be worn when moving around the premises - such as communal spaces and in corridors
  
• should be worn in offices where social distancing is difficult to maintain or where there is poor ventilation

*there are some circumstances where people may not be able to wear a face-covering and are legally exempt from the requirement to wear face coverings.

VENTILATION

It is important to ensure that offices, classrooms and communal rooms are well ventilated. Opening windows regularly can improve natural ventilation while maintaining a comfortable temperature for the staff, students, and visitors.

TESTING

We would like to encourage our staff and students to test twice each week using home test kits (lateral flow kits) which could be ordered (free) online or collected from a local pharmacy.  Results of the lateral flow test should be reported online to NHS Test and Trace to help monitor the spread of the virus.

Upon notification of a positive lateral flow test result, students and staff should arrange to have a PCR test and stay at home while they are waiting for a home test kit or a test site appointment or a test result and follow the national guidance for people who have received a positive Covid-19 test result: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance.

To minimise transmission of Covid-19, it is vital that staff experiencing any symptoms of Covid-19, must book a PCR test which staff can book using https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test. 

The most common symptoms linked with Covid-19:

• a new continuous cough
• a high temperature
• a loss of, or change in, your normal sense of taste or smell.

VACCINATION

Vaccines help protect people and make them less likely to catch the virus and less likely to pass it on. Staff and students are encouraged to take up the offer of the vaccine, including boosters.

TRAVEL

We recommend that staff and students consider whether to go ahead with planned international travels, recognising the risk of the need to isolate and test on arrival back into the UK (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/travel-to-england-from-another-country-during-coronavirus-covid-19).