On behalf of Public Health we have been asked to share this information with parents and carers and adults working in your school community

Taking a regular rapid testing is now even easier using a home testing kit for Covid-19. Rapid home tests (Lateral Flow or LFD tests) are a convenient alternative to workplace testing or visiting a community test site and are designed to deliver speedy results in under 30 minutes.

Around 1 in 3 people with Covid-19 do not have symptoms. Early detection of cases means those who test positive can self-isolate immediately and, in doing so, break the chain of transmission.

Households, childcare and support bubbles of primary, secondary and college staff and adults working in the wider school community, including bus drivers and after school club leaders, should take a test twice a week.
The twice-weekly rapid flow testing can be accessed:
• via employers if they offer testing to employees
• at a local test site – www.worcestershire.gov.uk/communitytesting
• by collecting a home test kit from a test site – check this online map https://worcestershire.maps.test-and-trace.nhs.uk/findatestcenter.html
• by ordering a home test kit online Schools, nurseries and colleges testing: order coronavirus (COVID-19) rapid lateral flow home test kits – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Parents, carers or household members should not request test kits from schools.

Read guidance on rapid flow testing for households and bubbles of school pupils and staff in full.