Schoolchild among 12 new Covid-19 cases confirmed in Alderney
A schoolchild is among 12 new cases of Covid-19 reported in Alderney today (18 July).
30 children from reception and years 1 and 2 have now been identified as direct contacts. Public health will now contact the parents of those affected and ask them to remain at home until they are contacted.
The school was forced to close on Friday after eight members of staff were identified as close contacts of a positive case.
Children identified as close contacts will need to:
Have mouth swabs every other day until 13 days after the date of last contact
Stay at home, other than to go outdoors for for exercise, which must be socially distanced and not involve mixing with others from outside their household. This is allowed only if other members of the household have not been required to isolate because they have the virus or are a close contact.
These testing requirements will be discussed with parents when they are contacted by Public Health, which will be within 24 hours.
Parents are asked not to contact Public Health directly as they will be in touch if their child is identified as a direct contact.
Other members of the same household can attend work if they are not a case themselves or required to isolate.
Households can bubble with one other household for childcare support, but Public Health says consideration needs to be given to the impact on those who are vulnerable.
Anyone who was at Alderney Airport on Monday 12 July between 8.45am and 3pm - a period where the airport was 'fogged in' - is asked to come forward for testing.
Anyone currently in Alderney who was at the airport at the above time should contact the welcome centre to book a test on 01481 520266. It is open between 8am and 5.30pm, 7 days a week.
Anyone currently in Guernsey who was in Alderney at the specified times should contact the clinical helpline on 01481 756938 or 01481 756969.
Public Health are also appealing for people to come forward to be tested if they were at specified locations between 11 and 15 July.
The rise in cases takes the total number of active infections in the island to 23.