Children displaying symptoms of Covid-19 should remain at home, and parents are advised to arrange a test and ensure self-isolation guidance is adhered to. If the test comes back positive, the contact tracing system will commence for that case.

If your child has a positive lateral flow test or develops symptoms,  they should self-isolate and book a PCR test as soon as possible.  

If your child is under five years old and has symptoms

If your child has any of the main COVID-19 symptoms they should not attend school or childcare. They should only attend school or childcare when their symptoms have resolved. 

If your doctor advises it or you feel it is completely necessary for your child you can still book a PCR test.

If your child  has been identified as a close contact of someone with COVID - can they attend school?

Yes, your child can still attend school or . However we now ask that all children aged 5 to 17 years old (as well as vaccinated adults) identified as a close contact of a positive case to take lateral flow tests (LFTs) every day for 7 days if they are identified as a contact of a positive COVID-19 case. This is known as ‘Daily Contact Testing’. Tests should be taken before they arrive at school each day.

These individuals do not need to self-isolate for that day unless they have a positive lateral flow test or develop symptoms. In either of these cases, they should self-isolate and book a PCR test as soon as possible.