• being coughed on, or
• having a face-to-face conversation within 1 metre, or
• having unprotected skin-to-skin physical contact, or
• travel in a small vehicle with the case, or
• any contact within 1 metre for 1 minute or longer without face-to-face contact

Close contact without PPE

• Extended close contact (between 1 and 2 metres for more than 15 minutes) with a case

All direct and close contacts will be excluded from school and advised to self-isolate for 14 days starting from the day they were last in contact with the case. For example, if the case tests positive on Thursday and was last in school on the previous Monday the first day of the 14 day period is on the Monday. Household members or siblings of contacts do not need to self-isolate unless the contact develops symptoms.

These may include;

• Children who have been in a classroom within 2m of the child for the lesson
• Staff who have been within 2 meters of a child. This does not include teachers who have remained at the front of a classroom for the entire lesson or have only moved into the child’s space for short time frames to deliver materials etc
• When a member of staff has been within 1 metre, conversing closely with a child and working closely or if they taught the lesson but remained within 2m of the child whilst delivering the lesson 
• Nursery and primary school the bubble may include the teacher and teaching assistants
• Children who have sat within 2m of a positive case on school transport for significant time
• Children who have sat within 2m of a positive case at lunch break
• If primary or nursery these will be children in same bubble and children from other bubbles should not mix at break and lunch times
• Children who have played within 2m with a child who is then a positive case
• If primary or nursery these will be children in same bubble and children from other bubbles should not mix at break and lunch times
• Lunchtime supervisors

The more measures we take in classrooms and at break times to reduce contacts, the fewer children will need to self-isolate (stay at home) teachers when in staff rooms need to keep distance and consider wearing masks in communal areas

Walsall health protection hub will offer support to identify close contacts with the education setting using an assessment of risks if required. It is important you contact them as early as possible to undertake this process.

Picture diagrams explaining close contact and who would need to self-isolate

1. Symptomatic parent / household member
2. Symptomatic individual - education setting implications
3. Initial positive case
4. Further positive cases