UTD - COVID-19 UPDATE (updated March 2022)

On 21st February the UK Prime Minister set out the government’s plan for living with Covid-19 

Prime Minister sets out plan for living with COVID – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The plan covers four main areas:

• Removing domestic restrictions while encouraging safer behaviours through public health advice, in common with longstanding ways of managing other infectious illnesses
• Protecting the vulnerable through pharmaceutical interventions and testing, in line with other viruses
• Maintaining resilience against future variants, including through ongoing surveillance, contingency planning and the ability to reintroduce key capabilities such as mass vaccination and testing in an emergency
• Securing innovations and opportunities from the COVID-19 response, including investment in life sciences

The public are encouraged to continue to follow public health advice, as with all infectious diseases such as the flu, to minimise the chance of catching Covid and help protect family and friends. This includes by letting fresh air in when meeting indoors, wearing a face covering in crowded and enclosed spaces where you come into contact with people you don’t normally meet, and washing your hands.

The Prime Minister confirmed domestic legal restrictions would end on 24 February as we begin to treat Covid as other infectious diseases such as flu. This means:

• The remaining domestic restrictions in England will be removed. The legal requirement to self-isolate ends. Until 1 April, we still advise people who test positive to stay at home. Adults and children who test positive are advised to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for at least five full days and then continue to follow the guidance until they have received two negative test results on consecutive days.
• From April, the Government will update guidance setting out the ongoing steps that people with COVID-19 should take to be careful and considerate of others, similar to advice on other infectious diseases. This will align with testing changes.
• Self-isolation support payments, national funding for practical support and the medicine delivery service will no longer be available.
• Routine contact tracing ends, including venue check-ins on the NHS COVID-19 app.
• Fully vaccinated adults and those aged under 18 who are close contacts are no longer advised to test daily for seven days and the legal requirement for close contacts who are not fully vaccinated to self-isolate will be removed.

Further changes include:

• Guidance has been removed for staff and students in most education and childcare settings to undertake twice weekly asymptomatic testing.
• On 24 February, removing additional local authority powers to tackle local COVID-19 outbreaks (No.3 regulations). Local Authorities will manage local outbreaks in high-risk settings as they do with other infectious diseases.
• On 24 March, the Government will also remove the COVID-19 provisions within the Statutory Sick Pay and Employment and Support Allowance regulations.

From 1 April, the Government will:

• Remove the current guidance on voluntary COVID-status certification in domestic settings and no longer recommend that certain venues use the NHS COVID Pass.
• No longer provide free universal symptomatic and asymptomatic testing for the general public in England.
• Remove the health and safety requirement for every employer to explicitly consider COVID-19 in their risk assessments.

24th February the UK Government published the document Covid-19 Response: Living with Covid-19, see link below

COVID-19 Response: Living with COVID-19 – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

In addition to the information in the documents we recommend you review the following links

 Coronavirus: how to stay safe and help prevent the spread – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

 Working safely during coronavirus (COVID-19) – Guidance – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

 Guidance on coronavirus (COVID-19) measures for grassroots sport participants, providers and facility operators – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

 Guidance for parents and carers of children attending out-of-school settings during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The government is making regular updates to this guidance.

It is important that you continue to review the information provided and regularly review and update your school’s risk assessment.

Examinations 

For examination sessions, the Examiner will be appointed to conduct your examination session in the normal way, by Head Office.

Applications should be submitted as normal to Head Office with the Application Form for processing and agreement.

We are aware of the impact of the virus on dance classes and exams, with some candidates needing to isolate at short notice and the consequent effect on your school. If you have an examination session booked in the next few weeks, please keep in touch with the examination co-ordinator, in case your examination session is affected.

Please continue to provide us with a risk assessment to minimise the spread of the virus, including any requirement to wear a mask when moving around the venue, good hygiene and ventilation.

If anyone is unwell and presents with covid-19 symptoms they must follow the NHS guidance.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) – NHS (www.nhs.uk)

We would ask our members in Scotland, Southern Ireland and Wales to continue to check guidance in their area.

UK Government advice on safer behaviours and actions that reduce the spread of COVID-19

1. Let fresh air in if you meet indoors. Meeting outdoors is safer. Meeting outdoors vastly reduces the risk of airborne transmission. However, it is not always possible, particularly through the winter. If you are indoors, being in a room with fresh air (and, for example, opening your windows regularly for 10 minutes or a small amount continuously) can still reduce the airborne risk from COVID-19 substantially compared to spaces with no fresh air. Some evidence suggests that under specific conditions high levels of ventilation could reduce airborne transmission risk by up to 70%.
2. Wear a face covering in crowded and enclosed settings where you come into contact with people you do not normally meet.
3. Get tested, and self-isolate if required.
4. Try to stay at home if you are feeling unwell.
5. Wash your hands with soap and water or use hand sanitiser regularly throughout the day.

UTD WILL DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO SUPPORT YOU IN YOUR EXAMINATION SESSION APPLICATIONS PLEASE CONTACT GEMMA DIRECT FOR ANY ASSISTANCE utdexaminations@outlook.com