Coronavirus: Early years settings and schools no longer expected to carry out contact tracing

However, they may be contacted by NHS Test and Trace to help with identifying close contacts. 

The change from 19 July is part of the Government’s relaxation of rules for so-called ‘freedom day’, as the prime minister presses ahead with Step 4 of the Government’s roadmap and removes most remaining legal Covid restrictions.

Updated guidance states that, ‘Close contacts will now be identified via NHS Test and Trace and education settings will no longer be expected to undertake contact tracing.’

Schools may remove bubbles from today, but may keep them until the end of the summer term if they wish. (Some schools in England have already broken up for the summer holidays, the remainder will do so this week.)

Nursery staff, teachers and visitors to settings will also no longer be required by law to wear face coverings in communal areas, although this is recommended in ‘enclosed and crowded spaces’.

Actions for early years and childcare providers during the COVID-19 pandemic guidance has been updated to include clarification on face coverings and contact tracing.

From Step 4, ‘a more proportionate set of control measures’ will apply in early years settings.

The guidance states, ‘This marks a new phase in the government’s response to the pandemic, moving away from stringent restrictions on everyone’s day-to-day lives, towards advising people on how to protect themselves and others, alongside targeted interventions to reduce risk.’

Key changes at Step 4 of the Government’s roadmap include:

• No longer recommending that it is necessary to keep groups apart as much as possible.

• Settings will no longer be expected to undertake contact tracing but may be contacted to help with identifying close contacts.

• From 16 August, children under the age of 18 will no longer be required to self-isolate if they are contacted by NHS Test and Trace as a close contact of a positive Covid-19 case but they will be advised to take a PCR test.

• Face coverings will no longer be recommended for staff and visitors in corridors or communal areas. While the Government is removing the requirement to wear face coverings in law, guidance notes that it expects and recommends that they are worn in enclosed and crowded spaces where you may come into contact with people you don't normally meet. This includes public transport.

• Parent and child groups can operate as normal and without restrictions in attendance.

In a ‘frequently asked questions’ document for early years settings and schools, the DfE says that, ‘Education and childcare settings have done a brilliant job in identifying contacts over the course of the pandemic, but this [sic] resource intensive. NHS Test & Trace already manage the contact tracing process for the rest of society and has expertise in supporting people to identify close contacts.’ 

The DfE has produced guidance, some frequently asked questions and answers and a template letter for settings to send to parents on changes to contact tracing of close contacts. The DfE says these can  be found on the document sharing platforms for primary and early years.

Face coverings

A separate Early Years Step 4 Q & A document states that, ‘Adults are free to wear a face covering in communal areas where social distancing is difficult to maintain if they wish to.

‘Settings should make sure their outbreak management plans cover the possibility that it is advised that face coverings should temporarily be worn more widely in settings in their area.’

Tracing close contacts and isolation

From 16 August, children under the age of 18 will no longer be required to self-isolate if they are contacted by NHS Test and Trace as a close contact of a positive Covid-19 case.

The guidance states, 'Instead, children will be contacted by NHS Test and Trace, informed they have been in close contact with a positive case and advised to take a PCR test. We would encourage all individuals to take a PCR test if advised to do so.

‘Settings will continue to have a role in working with health protection teams in the case of a local outbreak. If there is an outbreak in a setting or if central government offers the area an enhanced response package, a director of public health might advise a setting to temporarily reintroduce some control measures.’

Settings should continue to report cases to Ofsted.

Small groups

In response to a question about whether settings can still maintain ‘small, consistent groups and other control measures’ if they want to, the DfE says, ‘Yes, though any decision to continue keeping groups apart should take account of the detrimental impact this can have on the delivery of education and childcare.’

The guidance on ‘Mixing’ states, ‘We no longer recommend that it is necessary to keep groups apart as much as possible.

‘If your setting is due to close for the summer, you may continue with these measures until the end of your summer term.

‘You should make sure your outbreak management plans cover the possibility that in some local areas it may become necessary to reintroduce keeping groups apart for a temporary period.

‘Any decision to recommend the reintroduction of keeping groups apart would not be taken lightly and would need to take account of the detrimental impact they can have on the delivery of education and childcare’.

However, the DfE has said that schools may continue to keep children in bubbles until the end of the summer term.

Asymptomatic testing

The guidance states:

‘Testing remains important in reducing the risk of transmission of infection within settings. That is why, while some measures are relaxed, others will remain, and if necessary, in response to the latest epidemiological data, we all need to be prepared to step measures up or down in future depending on local circumstances.

‘Over the summer, staff should continue to test regularly if they are attending settings that remain open. Regular testing will then pause in settings over the summer if they are closed. However, testing will still be widely available over the summer and kits can be collected either from your local pharmacy or ordered online.

‘Early years staff should undertake twice weekly home tests whenever they are on site until the end of September, when this will also be reviewed.’

Early years children are not included in the rapid testing programme. PHE has advised there are limited public health benefits attached to testing early years children with rapid lateral flow coronavirus (COVID-19) tests.

• The DfE has produced guidance, FAQs and a template letter for settings to send to parents. These can be found here.