Covid-19 government update – Tuesday 21 February

As many of you will be aware, on Tuesday 21 February the Government released their ‘plan for living with Covid’, along with the news that staff and students no longer need to test twice-weekly.

The plan states that from Thursday 24 February:

• You will not be legally required to self-isolate if you test positive for Covid-19. Stay at home if you can and avoid contact with other people.
• You will not have to take daily tests or be legally required to self-isolate following contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid-19.
• The Test and Trace Support Payment Scheme will end. If you were told to self-isolate before 24 February you can still make a claim up to 6 April.
• Until 1 April, adults and children who test positive are advised to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for at least five full days and then continue to follow the guidance until they have received two negative test results on consecutive days.

Find out more >

Guidance from Solent

Following this update, we will be further relaxing our Covid-19 guidance and will no longer require staff and students to engage in twice-weekly testing to attend campus. Tests kits will be available to collect until Saturday 26 February, after which, LFD test kits will be available from pharmacies, community collection points, or online. PCR test kits are also available online. If you test positive for Covid-19, please stay at home and do not come onto campus.

However, we remain conscious of the role of the University in managing the virus in wider society, and we encourage staff and students to consider the safety and wellbeing of the Solent community.

The University will continue to conduct risk assessments for particular circumstances and will implement sensible and proportionate measures to reduce the risk of transmission of Covid-19 to the lowest practicable level. The general Covid-19 risk assessment has now been updated, following UKHSA guidance.

We will be continuing to encourage the wearing of face-coverings in confined teaching and communal areas across campus and in residential buildings, and will maintain our policy of keeping occupied spaces well ventilated with fresh air, and windows should be open where indicated. We will also continue with enhanced cleaning regimes and promote good hand hygiene measures.

Students and staff are encouraged to take up the offer of both doses of the Coronavirus vaccine and the booster as soon as they are eligible. You can book your vaccination slot online or find a walk-in centre on the NHS website.

You can find more answers on our FAQ pages on the website.

If you have any queries, students should contact the Student Hub and staff should speak to their manager or People and Development business partner.