01 September 2021
From tomorrow (Thursday, 2 September) all secondary school students and staff can register to receive their free COVID-19 Lateral Flow Tests for home use.
The majority of schools are due to return on Tuesday, 7 September and secondary students are being offered Lateral Flow Tests before starting school.
The self-testing kits contain 25 Lateral Flow Tests for students to use twice a week, at home, for the next 12 weeks.
The Lateral Flow Tests have been distributed to a number of Parish Halls, which can be picked up from tomorrow once registered online. The Lateral Flow Tests will also be available for collection from secondary schools on Monday 6, September, when schools will be open to staff for their training days. Schools will contact parents directly with details of collection times from their school on Monday.
The online registration portal will be live on the Government of Jersey website from Thursday, 2 September.
To encourage students to get into the habit of using Lateral Flow Tests twice a week, a campaign will be launched to explain how to use the self-testing kits, which can help to keep the community safe. Information will be issued from schools to parents.
Deputy Medical Officer of Health, Dr Ivan Muscat, said: "Twice-weekly testing of secondary students and staff will be crucial in helping us manage the spread of the virus as schools start to return. The tests are quick and easy to do, and the results come through within 30 minutes."
Dr Muscat added: "Around 1 in 3 people with COVID-19 do not experience any symptoms and may be spreading the virus inadvertently. Lateral Flow Tests detects cases quickly, meaning positive cases can isolate immediately. By making self-testing at home available to all secondary schools and staff more cases will be detected, breaking chains of transmission and preventing individual cases from becoming outbreaks.
"COVID-19 has not gone away and we must remember that along with testing we keep in mind hands, face, space, fresh air. It is very important for all those eligible students to attend for vaccination, as soon as possible, if they have not already been vaccinated. Over a third of 16- and 17-year-olds have now received their vaccine, which is excellent news. Vaccination is our single most important defence against COVID and will help maintain normal day to day activity."
Education Minister Deputy Scott Wickenden said: "Getting tested regularly is one of the simplest and easiest ways we can keep ourselves safe. I'd encourage all secondary students and staff to take up the offer to take a test before returning to school and to then test twice a week from home once they start back.
"I would like to thank the Parish Halls who have kindly agreed to support with the distribution of the Lateral Flow Tests to students this week before they start school. We are also grateful to the secondary schools who will be offering collection next Monday, during their INSET day, for students to pick up their tests before they return the following day.
"It is vital that we do everything possible for children and young people to attend school. Officials from the Children, Young People, Education and Skills Department have worked hard throughout the summer with schools to ensure measures are in place before students and staff return.
"This includes offering all staff PCR testing and all secondary students a Lateral Flow Tests before school starts, keeping classroom bubbles, asking all staff and secondary students to continue to wear masks in corridors and issuing reminders to ensure good personal and environmental hygiene."
Collection:
From Thursday, 2 September
Once registered, the Lateral Flow Tests will be available to collect from the following Parish Halls and the Department for Children, Young People, Education and Skills.
Please visit the individual Parish Halls website for their opening hours and ensure that you have your personalised code when collecting the Lateral Flow Tests.
- St. Saviour
- St. Lawrence
- St Brelade
- Grouville
- St Ouen
- St. Helier
- St John
- St Clements
- Children, Young People, Education and Skills Department – Reception desk (based at Highlands Campus
From Monday, 6 September
All secondary schools will advise parents how they can collect Lateral Flow Tests on Monday 6, September.
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