Testing for COVID-19 - updated October 2022

COVID-19 testing is no longer recommended or available for most people.

If you develop symptoms, you should follow guidance for people with symptoms of respiratory infection

School employees and pupils are no longer legally required to self-isolate and updated government guidance advises the following:

• Adults with the symptoms of a respiratory infection, who have a high temperature and do not feel well enough to go to work or carry out normal activities, should try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people until they feel well enough to resume normal activities and they no longer have a high temperature.
• Children and young people with mild symptoms such as a runny nose, sore throat, or slight cough, who are otherwise well, can continue to attend their education setting. However, children and young people who are unwell and have a high temperature should stay at home and avoid contact with other people. They can go back to school, college or childcare when they no longer have a high temperature, and they are well enough to attend.
• Adults who are required to test and then receive a positive COVID-19 test result should try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for 5 days, which is when they are most infectious. For children and young people aged 18 and under, who are required to test and have a positive test result, the advice will be to stay at home for 3 days. After 3 days, the risk of a child or young person aged under 18 years passing the infection on to others is much lower as children tend to be infectious to other people for less time than adults.

Testing to end self-isolation following a positive COVID-19 test is no longer advised.