Track & Trace

The new Test, Trace, Protect strategy published on 13 May was implemented across Wales from 1 June.

This strategy set out the next phase of WG approach to tackling coronavirus; testing people with symptoms in the community, tracing those who have come into close contact with people who have tested positive for coronavirus, and protecting family, friends and our community by self-isolating.

Test, Trace, Protect works by:

• testing those people who have coronavirus symptoms, asking them to isolate from family, friends and their community while taking a test and waiting for a result. People can apply for a test for themselves or someone in their household with symptoms. This includes adults and children including the under 5s. Information and guidance for staff and how to apply for a test can be found the Welsh Government website

• tracing those people who have been in close contact with people that have tested positive for the virus, requiring them to take precautions through self- isolation. Further information on contact tracing and how it operates can be found on the Welsh Government website

• ensuring that if the symptoms are not due to coronavirus, individuals and their contacts can cease their period of self-isolation and get back to their normal routines as soon as possible

• providing advice and guidance, particularly if the person who has symptoms or their contacts were previously in the ‘shielding group’ or are in the increased risk group.

By reducing transmission in communities, and quickly identifying and isolating those at risk of developing COVID-19 following their close contact with a positive individual (e.g. a known contact or family member) we support the wider opening of schools, colleges and early years’ settings.

Abercarn Primary School strongly reminds all those who show any of the COVID-19 symptoms to self-isolate immediately and book a test. Those living with someone showing symptoms or who has tested positive for COVID-19 should also self-isolate. 

As a school we will keep a record of anyone who comes in to a contact group (e.g. intervention teams).

In the event of a positive test, a contact tracer will contact the person tested to help identify potential contacts. A second contact tracer will then get in touch with those contacts and advise them to self-isolate for 14 days from their last contact with the person who tested positive. These people will only be required to take a test if they develop symptoms. The NHS TTP team will be notified automatically of a positive test result via their system.

People are considered as potential contacts if they were in contact with the person who has tested positive during a period beginning up to two days before symptom onset and ending when the case entered home isolation. This is based on current understanding of the main period of infectivity.

A contact is defined as someone who has had close contact during this period, specifically:

• within one metre of the person who has tested positive and has been coughed on, had a face-to-face conversation, had skin-to-skin physical contact, or been in other forms of contact within one metre for one minute or longer

• within two metres of the person testing positive for more than 15 minutes

• having travelled in a vehicle with the person who has tested positive.