Rapid COVID-19 Tests for households with children of school age

28th February 2021

All households with children of school age to get 2 rapid COVID-19 tests per person per week

Whole families and households with primary school, secondary school and college age children, including childcare and support bubbles, will be able to test themselves twice every week from home as schools return from 8 March.

“As laid out in the roadmap, secondary school and college students will now be tested twice a week, receiving three initial tests at school or college before transitioning to twice weekly home testing. Primary school children will not be regularly asymptomatically tested due to low levels of transmission between younger aged children but will continue to need to come forward for tests if they have symptoms.

In addition to this, the government has confirmed twice-weekly testing using rapid lateral flow tests will be given for free to all families and households with primary, secondary school and college aged children and young people, including childcare and support bubbles, to help find more COVID-19 cases and break chains of transmission. Twice-weekly testing will also be offered to adults working in the wider school community, including bus drivers and after school club leaders.

With about a third of individuals with coronavirus showing no symptoms and potentially spreading it without knowing, targeted, regular testing will mean more positive cases within households are found and prevented from entering schools and colleges, helping to keep educational settings safe.

Rapid testing detects cases quickly – in under 30 minutes – meaning positive cases can isolate immediately. This can be the difference between children being able to stay in school, or a class being sent home due to an outbreak. It could also be the difference between a workplace having to close for a period, or being able to stay open and running.”

Read the full article here on the Gov.uk website 

Note: Schools and colleges will not be expected to provide the test kits to families or administer the family testing process.

Schools testing: How to order a COVID-19 rapid lateral flow home test kit

• Click here to find a Rapid Test Collection Site near you.” Find your nearest collection point and turn up. You will be asked how many children/people in your household and which school your children attend.  I got 14 tests for me and my husband – you report online when you’ve done each test” (JB Doncaster Mumbler Chat Group 1/3/21)

Doncaster test sites: Chappel Drive East Car Park, Doncaster Airport

• Click here if you cannot go to rapid lateral flow test sites (ie if you can’t drive or get someone to take you there)

 

Anyone with symptoms of COVID-19 should book at test online or by calling 119