Rapid lateral flow testing for households and bubbles of school pupils and staff

Information received today from the Department for Education:

“Around 1 in 3 people with coronavirus (COVID-19) do not have symptoms but can still pass it on to others. Regular testing of people without symptoms (asymptomatic testing) is important to help stop the virus spreading. As lockdown restrictions gradually ease, we all need to play our part to help protect each other.

On Sunday 28 February, the Department of Health and Social Care announced that from Monday 1 March, households with primary school, secondary school and college age children, including childcare and support bubbles, can test themselves twice every week at home as schools return from Monday 8 March. Households, childcare and support bubbles of primary, secondary and college staff can also be tested. Twice-weekly testing will also be offered to adults working in the wider school community, including bus drivers and after school club leaders. The twice-weekly test kits can be accessed:

via employers 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 online

Schools should not give test kits to parents, carers or household members and should not order more test kits for this purpose. Letters containing advice on where to access testing will be made available for schools to share with parents and staff shortly.

This guidance provides information on who can be tested and how you can get a test.”