Update Covid-19: Advice to all students, parents and carers 12/3/21

Dear students, parents and carers 

Further to my last communication to you on 5^th March 2021, please find detailed below important information:
 

Student testing arrangements onsite 

It has been a great first week back at College. As planned, the majority of our students have now received their first asymptomatic COVID-19 test and have returned to face-to-face education following their first negative test result.  

As of 3.30pm Thursday (11^th March 2021) we had conducted in excess of 2300 tests. Tutors had booked 2800 tests, so our attendance rate has been 82%. This is fantastic news and we will continue to encourage students to have their second and third tests, and to arrive at the testing centre at their allocated time. To date, we not have had any positive results. For the second and third tests, there is not a requirement for a student to receive a negative before attending lessons. 

During onsite testing, students will be supervised as they undertake the lateral flow test. The student will swab themselves and the testing site staff will collect the swab, process the test and record the results.  Tests will be conducted weekly to reflect that the majority of our students are not in College 5 days a week. The purpose of supervised onsite testing before moving to home testing is so students have had the chance to familiarise themselves with self-swabbing. Testing remains voluntary but is strongly encouraged. 

A letter explaining the lateral flow testing process is available here. 

• Prior to undertaking the lateral flow test, students need to provide consent. The online consent form is available here.
• For students younger than 16 years old – this online consent form must be completed by the parent or legal guardian.
• For any student who does not have the capacity to provide informed consent, this form must be completed by the parent or legal guardian.

Please complete one consent form for each child you wish to participate in testing.

Individuals with a positive Lateral Flow Device (LFD) test result will need to self-isolate in line with the stay-at-home guidance. Those with a negative LFD test result can continue to attend college unless they have individually been advised otherwise by NHS Test and Trace or Public Health professionals (for example as a close contact). If students have previously provided consent, they will not need to do this again for their second and third tests.

Individuals with a positive Lateral Flow Device (LFD) test result will need to self-isolate in line with the stay-at-home guidance. Those with a negative LFD test result can continue to attend college unless they have individually been advised otherwise by NHS Test and Trace or Public Health professionals (for example as a close contact).

Tutors will be contacting students directly to notify them of the their second and third testing appointment. The testing process takes approximately 10 to 15 minutes and results are sent to test subjects via text or email approximately 30 minutes after swabbing. To comply with testing requirements, we will be operating our lateral flow testing facility in the Sports Hall at Vantage Point from Monday 8^th March. The Sports Hall facility will be open from 8^th March – 31^st March, 8.30am until 3.30pm daily (6 hours). It will close daily 12.00pm – 1.00pm. Through this we will process in excess of 1000 tests a day, operating 15 testing bays. Students will be provided with their results via text/email 30 minutes after they have undertaken the test, by the government Test and Trace system.

Students should bring their mobile phone to the test facility to undertake the NHS Test and Trace registration process. The College will have a limited number of devices for use in the testing centre for any students without their own mobile phone.

Individuals with a positive Lateral Flow Device (LFD) test result will need to self-isolate in line with the stay-at-home guidance. Those with a negative LFD test result can continue to attend college unless they have individually been advised otherwise by NHS Test and Trace or Public Health professionals (for example as a close contact). If a student has recently (within 90 days) tested positive for COVID-19, they are likely to have developed some immunity. If a student has had a positive coronavirus (COVID-19) test in the last 90 days through NHS Test and Trace and been recorded as a positive case on the national system, they do not need to conduct the LFD test within that time period if they are asymptomatic. They are still required to self-isolate if they are identified as a close contact of a positive case, even if this is within the 90 day window. 

For the latest report and photos of our facility, please see the link below.
South Devon College completes over 2000 ‘rapid’ Covid tests in first week back | South Devon College

Home Test kits for students

After the initial programme of three tests in College, students will be supplied with Lateral Flow Device (LFD) test kits to self-swab and test themselves twice a week at home. Students will be issued with their home testing kits when they arrive at the test centre for their third and final onsite test. Each student will be issued with 2 boxes, which contain 3 tests kits. These boxes will be ‘signed out’ to the specific student by the testing centre team. Students should test themselves twice a week, on a Sunday and Wednesday evening after 6pm.

Students must report their result to NHS Test and Trace as soon as the test is completed either online or by telephone as per the instructions on page 15 of the booklet provided with the home test kit. 

Students must also share their result, either positive, negative or VOID with the College to help with contact tracing using the link HERE. 

Students with a positive LFD test result will need to self-isolate in line with the stay-at home guidance. They will also need to arrange a lab-based polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test to confirm the result. Those with a negative LFD test result can continue to attend College. 
 
If a student has recently (within 90 days) tested positive for COVID-19, they are likely to have developed some immunity. If a student has had a positive coronavirus (COVID-19) test in the last 90 days through NHS Test and Trace and been recorded as a positive case on the national system, they do not need to conduct the LFD test within that time period if they are asymptomatic. They are still required to self-isolate if they are identified as a close contact of a positive case, even if this is within the 90 day window.
 
If any students would prefer to undertake their tests in College, instead of at home, they should notify their tutor and we will make arrangements for these tests to be taken onsite. 
 

Face Coverings

As mentioned in last week’s briefing, we have been closely monitoring Government guidance on the use of face coverings in Further Education settings. Face coverings are largely intended to protect others, not the wearer, against the spread of infection because they cover the nose and mouth, which are the main confirmed sources of transmission for the virus that causes coronavirus infection (COVID-19). 

In recognition of the new variants of COVID-19, from Monday 8^th March 2021, whilst onsite and undertaking any activity, face coverings, must be worn by students and staff at all times when moving around the College, in corridors and communal areas and in all classrooms, workshops and offices where social distancing cannot easily be maintained.

A face visor or shield may be worn in addition to a face covering but not instead of one. This is because face visors or shields do not adequately cover the nose and mouth. The best available scientific evidence is that, when used correctly, wearing a face covering may reduce the spread of coronavirus droplets in certain circumstances, helping to protect others. This does not apply in situations where wearing a face covering would impact on the ability to take part in exercise or strenuous activity, for example during sports lessons and physical activity. 

Parents of students under 18 who are exempt, should email tutors to confirm the exemption. If this email is not received, we will expect a face covering to be worn or a recognised exemption lanyard or badge to be visible at all times. 
 

Testing for people with NO symptoms (community testing)

Anyone who is member of a household, childcare bubble of a pupil, student or staff of a school, nursery or college, can now get a twice-weekly test:
·         through their employer if they offer testing to employees
·         at a local test site
·         by collecting a home test kit from a test site
·         by ordering a home test kit onlineWe now have a community testing centre at Quay West Car Park in Paignton. Watch this video produced by the Local Democracy Reporter at Devon Live, showing how the new community testing centre works. 

Under this new community testing programme, people who have to go to work and cannot work from home can apply for regular lateral flow device (LFD) testing to check they are not carrying the virus.

These quick 30 minute tests are for people without symptoms. Anyone with symptoms must follow the usual guidance and book a test.

How community testing works

• LFD tests are taken twice a week
• The result is uploaded to Test and Trace
• You must take certain actions once you get your test results

To book a test, use the following link:

https://www.torbay.gov.uk/health-and-wellbeing/public-health/coronavirus/community-testing/

A Frequently Asked Questions document relating to home testing is available here


REPORTED COVID-19 CASES: LATEST DATA
The table below gives the most up-to-date picture of COVID-19 infections at South Devon College in all areas.  

Weekly cases: 1 (Total cases reported in the last week – this gives an indication of the number of current cases) During the last week all of these are cases reported by students or staff who are learning or working remotely due to lockdown.

Total cases:  80 (A running total of positive/presumed positive cases reported to the College by students and staff since the first case was reported on Wednesday 7th October 2020)

Reporting positive Covid results

Please remember to complete the ‘Out of hours Notification of a POSITIVE COVID-19 test result’ form to alert us if you, a member of your household or other close contact identified through Track & Trace, receive a positive test result whilst the College is closed. This online form is available here or via our website www.southdevon.ac.uk. 

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your ongoing support.


Yours sincerely,  
 
Laurence Frewin  
Principal and CEO  
South Devon College