Updated guidance for education settings on coronavirus (COVID-19) – 16.3.2020

Updated guidance for education settings on coronavirus (COVID-19)

 

Today (16.3.2020), the Department for Education and Public Health England have issued updated guidance for education settings on COVID-19.

 

Current advice remains in place: no education or children’s social care setting should close in response to a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 case unless advised to do so by Public Health England.

 

The Chief Medical Officer has advised that the impact of closing schools on both children’s education and on the workforce would be substantial, but the benefit to public health may not be. Decisions on future advice to education or children’s social care settings will be taken based on the latest and best scientific evidence, which at this stage suggests children are a lower risk group.

 

Handwashing advice

 

The most important thing individuals can do to protect themselves is to wash their hands more often, for at least 20 seconds, with soap and water. Public Health England recommends that in addition to handwashing before eating, and after coughing and sneezing, everyone should also wash hands after using toilets and travelling on public transport.

 

Watch this short NHS film for guidance:

 

https://youtu.be/bQCP7waTRWU

 

Department for Education coronavirus helpline

 

The Department for Education coronavirus helpline is available to answer questions about COVID-19 relating to education and children’s social care. Staff, parents and young people can contact this helpline as follows:

 

Phone: 0800 046 8687
Opening hours: 8am to 6pm (Monday to Friday), 10am to 4pm (Saturday to Sunday)

 

Please note, we are currently experiencing high volumes of calls. We appreciate your patience at this time and apologise for any wait that you may experience. To ensure that we answer your calls as quickly as possible we have now extended our opening hours to cover weekends.

 

Where to find the latest information

 

Updates on COVID-19:

 

https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus

 

 

 

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