The Chief Medical Officer, Dr Michael McBride, has written a letter to all parents and carers which I have attached below.
The Department of Education, in conjunction with the Public Health Agency, has also issued up-to-date guidance for parents and carers (see below). Please read these documents carefully.
- The school will be advising all parents who report their child as showing symptoms, to keep their child and their siblings at home and to call the 119 helpline for guidance or book a test online at www.nidirect.gov.uk/coronavirus.
- If your child shows possible symptoms in school, you will be asked to collect your child (and their siblings), then to call the 119 helpline for guidance.
- I understand that there can be difficulty around the coughing symptom. If a parent reports a cough which they feel does not come under the bracket of a new continuous cough, then, as a precaution, the school will ask them to call the 119 helpline for guidance. They will then need to notify the school of this guidance before sending their child and their siblings to school.
Thank you very much to all parents for following these protocols to date. I will keep you updated with the most up-to-date guidance as it is released.
Mr Mone
