Renfrewshire Council

Letter sent by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to parents at Castlehead High School in Paisley, 20 August 2020

Dear Parent or Carer

I am writing to let you know that our Test and Protect team is carrying out COVID-19 contact tracing at Castlehead High School.

Working closely with the school and Renfrewshire Council, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has carried out a careful risk assessment to establish a list of close contacts within the school.

Parents of any children who have been identified as a contact will receive a phone call this evening from Renfrewshire Council, followed by a further phone call tomorrow from Test and Protect. All close contacts will be advised to self-isolate and be given appropriate advice and support. The school will work with parents and carers to minimise the disruption to learning from those pupils who require to self-isolate.

If you do not receive these phone calls, then you can be reassured that your child is not amongst those who have been identified as a contact.

Robust control measures are in place at the school, and there is currently no evidence of transmission within the school itself. Apart from those who are identified as contacts (all of whom will be individually contacted by the Test and Protect Team), all other pupils and staff can continue to attend as normal. This includes siblings of those identified as contacts, who can keep coming to school unless they or anyone else in their household develops symptoms.

I would like to take this opportunity to remind you of the general advice currently in place for everyone: If you or your child develop symptoms of COVID19 the symptomatic person should self-isolate and be tested as soon as possible. You should also stay at home if someone you live with or someone in your extended household has symptoms. The
symptoms include:

• a high temperature or fever
• a new continuous cough
• a loss of, or change in sense of smell or taste.

I would also like to remind all pupils and their parents of the vital importance of continuing to observe the rules on social distancing and other measures to prevent infection such as regular handwashing.

Further information on COVID-19 including on what to do if you develop symptoms and how to access a test is available from NHS Inform website.

Yours sincerely

Dr Daniel Carter

Consultant in Public Health Medicine

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde

Thursday 20 August 2020