Government/Local Authority Guidance/Information

Last Updated: 16.06.21
 

Warrington is now a designated enhanced response area following a government announcement, due to the continued prevalence of the Delta variant of coronavirus.

Cases are rising rapidly in Warrington, driven by the Delta variant. The government therefore made the decision, Monday 14 June, to make Warrington an enhanced support package area.

This means that in Warrington, over the coming days and weeks, there will be, as a minimum:

  • An enhanced presence of community engagement and street teams, speaking to residents to make sure they are testing themselves routinely and are taking up the vaccine when offered
  • Supervised in-school testing and the reintroduction of face coverings in educational settings
  • Surge PCR testing in some specific areas and settings
  • Enhanced delivery of local and targeted communications, including roaming ad vans and billboard messages

Director of Public Health at Warrington Borough Council, Thara Raj, said: “Cases of coronavirus are continuing to rise in Warrington and we can all play our part to reduce the risk of transmission. Stick to the ‘hands, face, space and fresh air’ basics of keeping your distance from others, making sure you wash your hands regularly, wear a face covering where appropriate and, if you’re meeting people, best to do it outside or in a place where there is plenty of ventilation. Importantly, please also remember to use symptom-free tests routinely and keep symptom-free testing twice a week, so that we can track anyone who may be unknowingly carrying the virus and spreading it to others. 

 
 
LATERAL FLOW TESTING KITS FOR PARENTS: From the 1st April parents and carers can collect home test kits from Halliwell Jones Stadium and Grappenhall Parish Centre. These test sites are open 12pm – 6pm Monday to Friday and 8.30am – 3.30pm on Saturday. On arrival there will also be an opportunity to undertake an observed test on site in a controlled environment. Parents and carers do not need to book an appointment and no ID is required.
 
National Road map for England

29 March -  Outdoor gatherings of either 6 people or 2 households will be allowed. This includes in private gardens.

Outdoor sports facilities, such as tennis and basketball courts, will be allowed to reopen, and people can take part in formally organised outdoor sports.

At this point, the Stay at Home order will end, although many lockdown restrictions will remain.

For example, you should continue to work from home where possible, and overseas travel remains banned, aside for a small number of reasons.

The subsequent steps are set out as follows:

Step 2, no earlier than 12 April:

  • Non-essential retail, personal care premises, such as hairdressers and nail salons, and public buildings, such as libraries and community centres, will reopen.
  • Most outdoor attractions and settings, including zoos, and theme parks, will also reopen although wider social contact rules will apply in these settings to prevent indoor mixing between different households. Drive-in cinemas and drive-in performances will also be permitted.
  • Indoor leisure facilities, such as gyms and swimming pools, will also reopen - but only for use by people on their own or with their household.
  • Hospitality venues can serve people outdoors only. There will be no need for customers to order a substantial meal with alcohol, and no curfew - although customers must order, eat and drink while seated.
  • Self-contained accommodation, such as holiday lets, where indoor facilities are not shared with other households, can also reopen.
  • Funerals can continue with up to 30 people, and the numbers able to attend weddings, receptions and commemorative events such as wakes will rise to 15 (from 6).

Step 3, no earlier than 17 May:

  • Outdoors, most social contact rules will be lifted - although gatherings of over 30 people will remain illegal.
  • Outdoor performances such as outdoor cinemas, outdoor theatres and outdoor cinemas can reopen.. Indoors, the rule of 6 or 2 households will apply - although we will keep under review whether it is safe to increase this.
  • Indoor hospitality, entertainment venues such as cinemas and soft play areas, the rest of the accommodation sector, and indoor adult group sports and exercise classes will also reopen.
  • Larger performances and sporting events in indoor venues with a capacity of 1,000 people or half-full (whichever is lower) will also be allowed, as will those in outdoor venues with a capacity of 4000 people or half-full (whichever is lower).
  • In the largest outdoor seated venues where crowds can spread out, up to 10,000 people will be able to attend (or a quarter-full, whichever is lower).
  • Up to 30 people will be able to attend weddings, receptions and wakes, as well as funerals. Other life events that will be permitted include bar mitzvahs and christenings.

Step 4, no earlier than 21 June:

  • It is hoped all legal limits on social contact can be removed.
  • We hope to reopen nightclubs, and lift restrictions on large events and performances that apply in Step 3.
  • This will also guide decisions on whether all limits can be removed on weddings and other life events.
 
 
Lateral Flow TESTING twice weekly available for parents and childcare bubbles with pupils of school aged children. 

All households with primary and secondary school and college age children, and childcare and support bubbles, will be encouraged to start regular twice-weekly testing as schools return. Tests will be available for adults in these households to collect on 1 March. As with all testing, this is encouraged but not mandatory. A secondary PCR test will be required for positive lateral flow tests which are taken at home, either through at home PCR testing or at a local PCR testing site.

Getting a rapid test is quick and convenient. The expanded regular testing offer for people without symptoms will be delivered through:

  • testing in-person via workplace testing
  • local authority test sites
  • collection at a local PCR test site during specific test collection time windows
  • a new home ordering service, which once launched on 1 March will allow people to order lateral flow tests online to be delivered to their home
Rapid testing detects cases quickly – in under 30 minutes – meaning positive cases can isolate immediately. This can be the difference between children being able to stay in school, or a class being sent home due to an outbreak. It could also be the difference between a workplace having to close for a period, or being able to stay open and running.
We would urge you to support us in this in order to keep classes, pupils, other families and staff safe. 
Thank you in advance 
 
Prime Minister Announcement 23/02/21
Primary Schools will reopen on the 8th March for all children. Further information has been PINGED out to all on the weekly newsletter (26.02.21) as well as all website pages updated with the new procedures. 
We hope you are as pleased as we are; we cannot wait to have everyone back together again. 
 
 
Government Announcement - 27.01.21
It is hoped that schools will re-open on the 8th March. 
This will be reviewed when Parliament re-opens on the 22nd February in line with data on the vaccination programme, hospitalisations and deaths. 
We as leaders will of course update you as soon as we have anything concrete on this. 
 
 
NATIONAL LOCKDOWN ANNOUNCED AS AT MIDNIGHT 4.01.21
 
SCHOOL CLOSED FOR ALL PUPILS EXCEPT KEY WORKERS AND THOSE WHO HAVE AN EHCP
 
 
Please see below links to information regarding Government and NHS guidance regarding the Coronavirus (Covid-19).
 

30/12/20: New announcements from No.10 below...

What does it mean for Winwick and Warrington?

 

 

As of 00:01 on 31st December, Warrington has been placed in Tier 4: STAY AT HOME, this means…

 

  • You should only go out for essential trips, such as to go to work, school, or to pick up essentials such as food and medicine. You must not leave Tier 4, except for work, education, support bubble visits or medical care.

  • You cannot meet any other households, except for support bubbles or childcare bubble arrangements, though you can meet one other person outside in a public space. You can continue to exercise outdoors; alone, as part of a household or support bubble, or with one other person while maintaining social distancing.
  • Non-essential retailers, pubs and restaurants, and close contact services such as hairdressers must close. Delivery and click-and-collect services can continue, but close contact services cannot operate in people’s homes. Indoor attractions must also close.
 
TO SEE A MORE DETAILED OVERVIEW OF TIER 4, PLEASE FOLLOW THE LINK BELOW:

 

 

Reminders:
  • only one adult to drop off/ pick up
  • maintain social distancing from other adults and children whilst waiting to drop off and collect. 
  • DO NOT congregate and socialise with other families at drop off/pick up both on and around the school site.
  • wear a mask on the approach to school as well as when entering the school site. 
Thank you 
 
 
IMPORTANT:
  • If any member of your household develops symptoms of COVID-19, you should arrange for anyone with symptoms to be tested as soon as possible. 
  • ALL members of the household MUST self-isolate (including siblings) and, once the results come back, you must continue to follow all Government guidance linked to self-isolating and engage with Test and Trace (if positive) and also inform school as soon as possible.
  • If the result is negative, please contact school to discuss plans for your child returning to school.
  • You MUST NOT come to the school site if you have symptoms of COVID-19.
  • If your child is unwell (e.g. sickness), please keep them at home and monitor their symptoms and inform school as soon as possible; if they develop COVID-19, please follow the above instructions.
COMMON SYMPTOMS IN CHILDREN WHO TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID 
 
From further research, Tim Spector, Professor of Genetics at King's College London states that Covid presents itself differently in children than in adults. 
 
The top 5 symptoms in school aged children who have tested positive for Covid are:
  • fatigue (55%)
  • headache (53%)
  • fever (49%)
  • sore throat (38%) and 
  • loss of appetite 
Researchers also found that 1 in 6 children with Covid also presented with an unusual rash. 
 
GOVERNMENT GUIDANCE/INFORMATION
 
 
LOCAL GUIDANCE/ADVICE
 
 
TEST & TRACE