Advice for Child to Self-Isolate for 14 Days due to the closure of Rainford High School
Dear Parent/Carer,
As you are aware we have been advised by Public Health England that there has been a number of confirmed case of COVID-19 within the school and the wider community.
We have followed the national guidance and have identified that all children have been in possible close contact with an affected child which has led to us being recommended to close the school until Monday 12th October. In line with the national guidance it is recommend that your child now stay at home and self-isolate until Friday 9th October.
We are asking you to do this to reduce the further spread of COVID 19 to others in the community by your child staying home for 14 days. This means your child is not to leave home (except for testing), and any exercise must be taken within your home.
If your child is well at the end of the 14 days period of self-isolation, then they can return to usual activities. A negative test does not mean that your child can return to school earlier than 14 days and int his case does not apply due to the whole school closure.
Other members of your household can continue normal activities provided your child does not develop symptoms within the 14 day self-isolation period. We appreciate the disruption and challenges this will cause but this action is in order to save lives and reduce the risk to the most vulnerable in our community.
Please see the link to the PHE Staying at Home Guidance.
https://www.gov.uk/law-on-leaving-your-child-home-alone
What to do if your child develops symptoms of COVID 19
The main symptoms of COVID 19 are
- a high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
- a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)
- a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this means you’ve noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal
If your child develops symptoms of COVID-19, they should remain at home for at least 10 days from the date when their symptoms appeared as advised in https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance
You should arrange for testing for your child via https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-getting-tested or via 111.nhs.uk
We would encourage you to contact the following number for local advice and guidance: St Helens Contact Cares on 01744 676767 or email: [email protected]
All other household members who remain well must stay at home and not leave the house for 14 days.
The 14-day period starts from the day when the first person in the house became ill.
Household members should not go to work, school or public areas and exercise should be taken within the home.
Household members staying at home for 14 days will greatly reduce the overall amount of infection the household could pass on to others in the community
If you are able can, move any vulnerable individuals (such as the elderly and those with underlying health conditions) out of your home, to stay with friends or family for the duration of the home isolation period
Need help?
If you’re isolated by coronavirus and need help, please call 01744 676767 to find out what support is available.
There are volunteers around St Helens who can do things like:
- Pick up your food shopping, essential supplies or medication and leave them on your doorstep
- Have a friendly chat with you on the phone
- Walk your dog
There is also a community hub operating, from which food parcels are delivered each week to our most vulnerable residents.
Symptoms of COVID 19
The most common symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) are recent onset of:
- new continuous cough and/or
- high temperature and/or
- a loss of, or change in, normal sense of taste or smell (anosmia)
For most people, coronavirus (COVID-19) will be a mild illness.
If your child does develop symptoms, you can seek advice from NHS 111 at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/check-if-you-have-coronavirus-symptoms/or by phoning 111.
How to stop COVID-19 spreading
There are things you can do to help reduce the risk of you and anyone you live with getting ill with COVID-19
- wash your hands with soap and water often – do this for at least 20 seconds
- use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available
- wash your hands as soon as you get home
- cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze
- put used tissues in the bin immediately and wash your hands afterwards
Further Information
Further information is available at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
Yours sincerely,
Ian Young
Principal