Dear Parents/Carers,

Covid 19 testing for primary aged pupils who do not have symptoms (asymptomatic)

I am writing to you as your local Director of Public Health to thank all of you who followed my advice and took a PCR test before your child returned to school on March 8th. Barking and Dagenham had one of the highest rates of asymptomatic testing in the week before March 8th and this made a really important contribution helping keep schools safe and protect the wider community.

Owing to the number of Covid-19 cases locally, we are carrying out a programme of asymptomatic testing (for people not experiencing any symptoms).

I am now encouraging all pupils who are attending school to get a test before they come back to school after the Easter holiday. These tests will help to reduce the risk of people without symptoms unknowingly spreading the virus to others in the school and in their community.

I strongly encourage anyone they live with to get a test also to make sure that anyone who may be infectious does not come to school with the virus and potentially start an outbreak.

Please arrange to get a PCR test around 15/16th April in time to get the results before the return to school.

I am advising that if possible you take your child for a PCR test a few days before the start of term. This is because it is the most sensitive and reliable test

Read the full letter here