Update Covid-19: Advice to all students, parents and carers 23/04/21
Dear students, parents and carers
I hope you enjoyed Easter and the break and I have been delighted to see students and our staff returning with energy and enthusiasm for the very busy final term!
Further to my last Covid update email to you on 1st April 2021, I am now writing with this week’s update and important information relating to the following:
- Home test kits for students
- Reported number of positive covid cases
- Home test kits for students (including 14-16, FE, Apprentices and Adults, except HE)
Many of our students are now coming to the end of their existing supply of home test kits. From this point onwards students will be issued with test kits by their tutors.
Students should continue to test themselves twice a week at home on a Sunday and Wednesday evening after 6pm for the foreseeable future.
Students must report their result to NHS Test and Trace as soon as the test is completed either online or by telephone following the instructions in 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. QR codes on the test kits boxes will soon be available and should simplify and speed up the reporting process. Please note the College reporting form has been simplified to capture only the minimum essential information that the Government have asked us to collate.
The important message from the Prime Minister yesterday is that regular asymptomatic coronavirus (COVID-19) testing remains vital and he said:
“I want to thank everybody for continuing to follow the guidance, and to thank parents and families for the incredible work you’re doing to help test pupils through the Easter holidays and to encourage you to keep testing them twice a week as schools return. It is vital that staff and students continue to test twice weekly in order to identify asymptomatic cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) and prevent the spread of the virus.”
The following Poster will shortly be displayed around College to remind students about the importance of regular testing.
Reporting positive COVID results
Please also remember to complete the ‘Out of hours Notification of a POSTIVE 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 via our main website www.southdevon.ac.uk
- 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: 2 (Total cases reported in the last three weeks (to include the current week and the two weeks of the Easter break) – this gives an indication of the number of current cases) |
| Total cases: 82 (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) |
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your ongoing support and I hope you have a great weekend.
Yours sincerely,
Laurence Frewin
Principal and CEO
South Devon College