{"id":5781,"date":"2020-09-10T14:10:33","date_gmt":"2020-09-10T13:10:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stmaryscbgs.com\/?p=5781"},"modified":"2020-10-01T10:57:09","modified_gmt":"2020-10-01T09:57:09","slug":"education-restart-information-for-parents-and-carers-letter-from-the-chief-medical-officer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stmaryscbgs.com\/school-notices\/education-restart-information-for-parents-and-carers-letter-from-the-chief-medical-officer\/","title":{"rendered":"Education Restart \u2013 Information for Parents and Carers – Letter from the Chief Medical Officer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
Please find below the content of a letter from the Chief Medical Officer’s Office to all schools.<\/p>\n
Further documentation from the Department of Education and from St Mary’s is attached to this post.<\/p>\n
************************<\/p>\n
From the Chief Medical Officer\u2019s Office
\nCastle Buildings
\nStormont Estate
\nBelfast BT4 3SQ<\/p>\n
Date: 10 September 2020<\/p>\n
Dear Parent\/Carer As parents and carers I appreciate that some of you will be worried and possibly anxious about the reopening of schools. Let me reassure you this concern is natural and wholly expected given the last number of months. It has most certainly been a challenging year for everyone so far.<\/p>\n
Now that schools have returned I am writing to provide you with some advice if a child or young person in your care develops symptoms of a common cold or other similar infections during the current pandemic.<\/p>\n
The decision to reopen schools was not taken lightly. We considered the scientific and medical evidence alongside the negative impact that closure was having on the health and wellbeing of our children. The broad evidence indicates that child-to-child and child-to-adult transmission of COVID-19 in the classroom is not common.<\/p>\n
However we must all be aware that COVID-19 is still active in our communities. It has not gone away and parents, pupils and indeed wider society need to stay vigilant and not become complacent. Everyone has a role to play in ensuring that hygiene, social distancing and all other public health measures continue to be followed.<\/p>\n
In order to ensure children and young people do not miss out on their education, it is important to be clear about how COVID-19 symptoms differ from those of other infections that we usually see circulating at this time of the year.<\/p>\n
All of us \u2013 including parents and the wider school community \u2013 must remain vigilant for the symptoms of COVID-19, and understand what actions are required should someone develop symptoms either at home or in the school setting. If your child or anyone in your household develops any of the following symptoms of COVID-19 they should stay home and arrange to get tested as soon as possible \u2013
\n\u2022A new, continuous cough \u2013 this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it maybe worse than usual) ; or
\n\u2022 A high temperature\/fever \u2013 this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature); or
\n\u2022 A loss of or change in sense of smell or taste.<\/p>\n