From Monday 21 February, the government removed the guidance for staff and students in most education settings to undertake twice-weekly asymptomatic home testing, however you may choose to continue to do this.
You can still use college supplies of tests, or order directly from the Government website https://www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests – see below for further guidance.
We are now taking a common-sense approach to living with COVID-19, this means:
- Stay at home if you have COVID-19 symptoms or have a confirmed case of COVID-19. Talk to your tutor about how you can continue your studies from home, if you are well enough to do so.
- We strongly recommend that you take a Lateral Flow test to determine whether or not you have COVID – this will enable to you treat the cause of your illness, be it COVID-19 or something else.
- To return to your normal routine, I advise you to take a Lateral Flow test 5 days after your symptoms started, or 5 days from the date of your positive test result, followed by another Lateral Flow test the next day.
If both of these test results are negative, and you do not have a high temperature, the risk that you are still infectious is much lower and you can safely return to your normal routine. See graphic below:
In all cases, we recommend that you follow government guidance outlined here: COVID-19: people with COVID-19 and their contacts - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Additional considerations:
- Be mindful in busy areas, you may wish to continue to socially distance or wear a face - we all need to appreciate some people may wish to do this and should respect those who wish to do so.
- Handwash facilities will remain available across college - please continue to wash your hands regularly
- Our COVID advice posters will continue to be on display across all sites, as a reminder of good practice.
