#edutwitter
1/ A thread on Containment and a look at local outbreak planning

Leads on from discussions in
Pandemic podcast for Educators No.1
DfE guidence, Containment Framework and saftey in schools
Catch up funding
Collectiving issues

2/ In the episode above I began talking about the Containment Framework, specifically Annex 3 which covers schools, this is where the 4 Tiers of measures was introduced with 3 days before schools go back.

It interlinks with the DfE guidence on infection control and Test & Trace

3/ Moving to blended when infections are high sounds sensible, however many media sources failed to mention this is only secondaries, primary stay fully open until they shut in Tier 4, but AP and special schools are expected to stay fully open regardless.
Can understand wanting

4/ to protect the most vulnerable outside of mainstream, of course there's got to be a limit at some point and government can act if necessary.
The idea of sticking with 30 primary pupils in a bubble even if we hit 2nd wave levels just seems to be asking for trouble

5/ As they've discovered in the US and is mentioned in SAGE documents and in Independent SAGE broadcasts, the risks of schools is linked to the community, while infections are low schools are low risk particularly with effective TTI. However with higher rates of infection the

6/ https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/08/31/us/coronavirus-cases-children.html

7/ I've also been wondering what the trigger points for the tiers are.
First of all it needs to be in an area of local intervention.

Here is the watchlist of interventions and concerns from a week ago. There are areas with higher infection rates that aren't on this list.

8/ Swindon is only an area of concern despite being much higher than some of those who are under intervention. Theres not a clear threshold and the reasoning isn't explained. PHE and central government decide on this. Schools in intervention automatically are Tier 1 so masks

9/ are mandatory in school communal areas in
Trafford:25/100k
Wigan:9/100k
but aren't in Swindon:44/100k

The general tone is that schools won't move beyond this measure.

10/ How does a school move up a tier?
No thresholds or conditions are set out anywhere, it talks a lot about local and national partners but regularly points out central gov has control. Does mention elsewhere SoS has covid powers to force any school to stay open

11/ Appreciate a bit of decision making on a case by case basis but a rough outline of conditions would be nice, other countries have managed it.

LA will have to make their case to Gavin Williamson and DfE to make rapid decisions...

12/ Have an image of Gavin Williamson sat looking confused at a table covered in T&T data and urgent requests for intervention from LAs.

Thats who we are currently relying on to protect us with choosing the right containment measures at the right time.

13/ According to the framework other settings and workplaces would have to close before sexondaries move to blended learning.

Also been looking at what happens in the event of a confirmed case or outbreak

14/ When the guidence was released last week it said that if there was a positive case the whole bubble would isolate. 12 hours later this line was removed, and we are back to only close contacts being isolated. These are described below

Less than a week after writing this thread, I am now receiving reports like in this tweet. https://twitter.com/karamballes/status/1303075721926107141?s=19

16/ Have seen local authority planning documents for outbreaks in schools, local authorities get very little say, phone PHE and they will decide. Now hearing PHE are having to draft in additional call handlers due to the quantity of calls they are receiving.

17/ in theory this arrangement might be alight, however I'm concerned PHE have been briefed to keep as many people in school as possible, even if it risks additional asymptomatic spread.