From this Sunday (1 May) the Scottish Government’s public health advice for everyone in Scotland will change to a ‘Stay at Home’ message if you have COVID-19 symptoms. This will replace the term ‘self-isolation’ as contract tracing and testing for the general population ends on Saturday 30 April.
Anyone who has symptoms of a respiratory infection, such as COVID-19, and a high temperature or do not feel well enough to go to work or carry out normal activities, should stay at home and avoid contact with other people, until they no longer have a high temperature (if you had one) or until they no longer feel unwell. They will no longer be advised to take a PCR test.
Testing will only remain available to high-risk groups including health and social care workers in care homes, hospitals, unpaid carers and people in prison, as testing is necessary to support clinical care.
The Protect Scotland app will also be closed down shortly, but users are encouraged to keep the app on their phones in case it is needed again at a future date.
What are the symptoms of COVID-19?
From 1 May, COVID-19 symptoms include continuous cough; high temperature, fever or chills; loss or change in, your normal sense of taste or smell; shortness of breath; unexplained tiredness, lack of energy; muscle aches or pains; unusual hunger; headaches; sore throat, stuffy or runny nose; and diarrhoea, feeling sick or being sick.
How will this effect childminding settings?
The Scottish Government has published updated guidance for ELC settings, including childminders, which will take effect from Monday 2 May. Read the updated guidance
HERE.
The National Clinical Director, Jason Leitch, has also produced a letter to all parents and carers to explain more about the upcoming changes, how they will effect educational and childcare settings and background information that supports these changes.
Read the letter from Jason Leitch
HERE. You may find it useful to share this letter with parents who use your childminding setting, so that they can fully understand the situation in terms of COVID-19.
If you have symptoms of a respiratory infection, such as COVID-19,
and a high temperature or do not feel well enough to carry out your normal activities, you should stay at home and avoid contact with other people, until your symptoms are gone, and you no longer feel unwell.
We anticipate that this means if you - as a childminder - have symptoms of COVID-19 and a high temperature or are not feeling well enough to work, you will be required to close your childminding setting until your symptoms have gone, and you feel well enough to re-open.
We have approached the Scottish Government for further clarity on this issue and asked them to confirm what action should be taken by childminders if another adult in their household displays symptoms. We will share a further update and clarification with childminders once more information is available.
Children and young people aged 18 years and under with mild symptoms such as a runny nose, sore throat, or slight cough, who are otherwise well, do not need to stay at home and can continue to attend education settings, including childminding settings.
Children are only required to stay at home if they are unwell and have a high temperature. They can go back to school, college or childcare, and resume normal activities when they no longer have a fever, and they feel well enough to attend.
The Scottish Government is keen to reinforce that this guidance reflects the fact that children and young people generally have a higher likelihood than adults of regular instances of respiratory symptoms from non-COVID-19 illnesses.
Further information on the Stay at Home guidance and measures you can take to limit the spread of COVID-19 can be found
HERE.