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<p>The department will always prioritise the health and welfare of staff, pupils and
students.</p><p>At the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, shielding was introduced as
one of the few ways to support those who, at the time, were considered clinically
extremely vulnerable (CEV).</p><p>The situation is now very different to when shielding
was first introduced. We know a lot more about COVID-19 and what makes someone more
or less vulnerable to the virus. The vaccine continues to be successfully rolled out,
and other treatments and interventions are becoming available.</p><p>We are committed
to protecting education, which is why the safety measures are based on the latest
scientific advice and strike a balance between managing transmission risk with measures
such as regular testing, enhanced ventilation and hygiene, and reducing disruption
to face-to-face learning.</p><p>The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) have
not advised people to shield since 1 April 2021, and people previously identified
as CEV were advised to follow the same guidance as the general population. The guidance
can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/covid-19-coronavirus-restrictions-what-you-can-and-cannot-do"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/covid-19-coronavirus-restrictions-what-you-can-and-cannot-do</a>.</p><p>All
children and young people previously considered CEV were advised to return to childcare
and education provision when shielding paused on 1 April. The decision to include
children as part of the CEV group was based on the information that we had at the
time. Now that we have more evidence, the clinical review panel has been able to recommend
that all children and young people are no longer considered to be CEV and have been
removed from the Shielded Patient List. However, if a child or young person has been
advised to isolate or reduce their social contact by their specialist, due to the
nature of their medical condition or treatment, they should continue to follow the
advice of their specialist.</p><p>The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation
has advised that children aged 5 to 11 in a clinical risk group, and household contacts
of individuals who are immunosuppressed, should be offered 2 10mcg doses of the Pfizer
COVID-19 vaccine, with an interval of 8 weeks between the first and second doses.
The NHS is working through updated guidance and will set out how this is going to
be operationalised in due course.</p><p>Vaccines remain an effective measure against
COVID-19. We recommend all school staff take up the offer of a vaccine.</p><p>Education
providers should continue to ensure good hygiene for everyone, maintain appropriate
cleaning regimes, keep spaces well ventilated and follow public health advice on testing,
self-isolation and managing confirmed cases of COVID-19. They should continue to conduct
risk assessments for their particular circumstances and take appropriate action in
line with our guidance, available here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak</a>.</p><p>It
is important that we reduce the disruption to children and young people’s education,
particularly given that the direct clinical risks to children are extremely low. The
evidence is clear that being out of education causes significant harm to educational
attainment, life chances, mental and physical health, which is why children should
continue to attend their education provision, unless they are symptomatic or test
positive for COVID-19. All students and pupils aged 5 and above are strongly advised
to take seven daily lateral flow device tests if they are identified by Test and Trace
as a close contact of a confirmed positive case.</p>
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