Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will publish guidance on the rules for isolation of classrooms in the event that a pupil in the class tests positive for the Omicron Covid-19 variant.

From Tuesday 14 December, a new national approach to daily testing for contacts of COVID-19 was introduced (including until the end of this term). All adults who are fully vaccinated and children aged 5 to 18 years and 6 months, identified as a contact of someone with COVID-19, whether Omicron or not, should take a lateral flow device test every day for 7 days instead of self-isolating. Daily testing by close contacts will help to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Daily testing for contacts of COVID-19 will help protect schools, colleges and nurseries by reducing transmission and help keep pupils in face-to-face education.

Children under five years old do not need to take part in daily testing for contacts of COVID-19 and do not need to isolate.