Weekly covid testing for special schools and AP no longer advised

Special schools, alternative provision and SEND units in mainstream schools will no longer be advised to test twice weekly for Covid from Friday, the government has confirmed.

Advice for home testing with lateral flow devices was removed for mainstream schools last month, but kept in place for specialist settings.

Government says outbreak testing will be available in residential SEND settings where it is advised by the local health protection team, especially to counteract the risk of closure due to staff absence

Guidance says that from 1 April, anyone with a positive COVID-19 test result will be advised to try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for five days, which is when they are most infectious. For children and young people aged 18 and under, the advice will be three days.

The government says that "children and young people who are unwell and have a high temperature should stay at home and avoid contact with other people, where they can. They can go back to school, college or childcare when they no longer have a high temperature, and they are well enough to attend."