Tuesday 29th September 2020
Please see the updated NHS Lothian public health message to schools dated 28/09/2020 regarding the importance of maintaining our high standards with our Covid-19 measures.
Dear Parents/Carers,
Thank you for everything you are doing to help keep your school safe, open and COVID free.
The measures your school has in place are necessary to protect children, staff and you as parents/carers. We must continue to work together and support our school staff in making the school as safe as possible, even if this feels difficult at times.
Staying two metres away from people who are not in your household will help to limit the spread of coronavirus. This is just as important outside. I wanted to highlight the importance of keeping a two metre distance from others at the school gates. If you can, please wear a face covering to help limit spread of the virus. Face coverings help reduce the spread of droplets, and so help limit the spread of coronavirus. Whilst we appreciate this is a difficult time and these measures can be trying, if we keep working together and do our best now to stop COVID-19, for example by not gathering at school gates and by wearing face coverings, we will get through this with fewer people becoming unwell.
The new restrictions announced by the First Minister include not having family and friends who don’t live with you inside your house and you not visiting other people’s houses. Having visitors and visiting other people’s houses has been the source of many COVID cases in recent weeks. This means that if we avoid having visitors and visiting others, we will all help limit the spread of coronavirus across households at this difficult time whilst cases are rising. This will help us to keep our schools and other services open.
Finally, please remember if your child or anyone in your household has one or more symptoms of COVID-19 (a new, continuous cough, a high temperature/fever, or loss of, or change in sense of smell or taste) you should ALL stay at home and the person with symptoms should get tested. Find out how to organise a COVID test on NHS Inform or phone 0800 028 2816. Please contact your school or local authority if you feel you may need help with self-isolation.
This has been a hugely difficult time for us all, and there are trying times ahead. However, everyone can make a difference, and by working together and following the FACTS we can help limit the spread of the virus, keep our schools open and our communities safe.
F – Face coverings
A – Avoid crowded places
C – Clean your hands regularly
T – Two metres distance
S – Self-isolate and book a test if you have symptoms
Yours sincerely
Alison McCallum
Director of Public Health and Health Policy
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