Update Covid-19: Advice to all students, parents and carers 26/3/21
Dear students, parents and carers
Further to my last communication to you on 19th March 2021, please find detailed below important information relating to the following:
- Student testing arrangements
- Home test kits for students
Student testing arrangements onsite
The majority of our students have now received their third and final COVID-19 test through our onsite testing facility.
Tutors will be contacting students directly to notify them of the their final testing appointment.
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).
Home test kits for students (except HE)
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 on a Sunday and Wednesday evening after 6pm. Students will be issued with their home testing kits when they arrive at the test centre for their third and final onsite test.
It is important that students continue home testing over the Easter holidays and that they have an adequate supply of kits to enable them to test twice a week up to and including Sunday 25thApril.
Some students may have completed their series of three tests but only received a limited supply of self-test kits. These students should notify their tutor as soon as possible if they need more kits to cover the period up to and including Sunday 25th April. These students will then be able to collect their additional kits from the Sports Hall on the following dates 29th, 30thand 31st March
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. Those with a negative LFD test result can continue to attend College.
We are currently working on distribution arrangements for the supply of home test kits to students after Easter. At this stage we envisage a simple system with tutors distributing kits to their students. More details to follow shortly.
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: 0 (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: 81 (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