AND 14th June 2021 SALIVA TESTING PROGRAMME Latest news from across the programme THE PROGRAMME IN NUMBERS Welcome to the new schools to the programme: Dove House School in Basingstoke, The Ashwood Academy in Basingstoke, in Southampton, Charter Academy in , in Dibden Purlieu and in Totton. We hope you find the test simple, convenient and Number of education reassuring in helping to keep your school community safer. settings involved 19

Figures from Public Health show the number of Delta (India) variant infections is rising rapidly among schools and colleges.* A total of 155 new infections 60% Staff participation were seen from 23rd May to 6th June. A recent Public Health England surveillance report has also shown that the number of tests being done by students is decreasing at precisely the time when it is most important.+ Whilst it's good news that since the start of the year, numbers of COVID-19 Student participation 33% cases have reduced, we can see that cases are rising and our schools are a key place where infection can spread. the Delta variant is 60% more transmissible than other variants and it is increasingly thought that vaccine effectiveness is lower against this variant. Ahead of any easing in restrictions, one of the ways that we can keep our 3.3 Volume of saliva (2mls) schools and communities safe is by regular testing. litres from staff and students Don't forget to remind your children, students and friends to keep testing tested in the past week + * Data from Public Health England, Technical briefing notes 14 3rd June 2021 Data from weekly statistics release from www.gov.uk on asymptomatic testing

There is a large team of people, all working to deliver the We have been getting an increasing number of samples arriving at Saliva Testing Programme in your schools and colleges. One the lab without being double-bagged. To ensure the safety of the of these teams is the Customer Services team, who are laboratory workers, the process for packaging the samples up has available at the end of the phone or on the web chat to been carefully planned. This means that it is essential that all answer any of your queries. In particular, the team can help samples are correctly bagged in two sample bags. you with: Updating your details (e.g. address or mobile phone number) Giving advice if you don't receive a test result Answering any questions you have about the test itself Watch the customer service team video here

Key details: In partnership with the Department for Education, the Programme is carrying out a user Submit your responses by 12 July 2021 survey. We would like to hear your feedback about your experiences of saliva testing. This Takes about 10-15 minutes to complete is an opportunity to make your voice heard, and the findings will be used to improve the All responses will be stored securely and service for you, as well as to help contribute to government policy. are anonymous and completely If you are a parent, guardian or carer, please support your child to complete the survey from their perspective, as we are keen to understand what the process has been like for them. confidential Some of the questions are focused on special educational needs. If these do not apply, select the ‘not applicable’ option Thank you for taking the time to provide your invaluable feedback. VIEW FROM THE REGION Data is from the national government website, as at 11 June 2021 Hampshire: Southampton: Portsmouth: Isle of Wight: 64,871 total cases 15,118 total cases 14,564 total cases 6,875 total cases 281 new cases in last 7 days 27 new cases in last 7 days 47 new cases in last 7 days 14 new cases in last 7 days Trend: Upwards Trend: Upwards Trend: Upwards Trend: Upwards Go to our website to contact the support team via webchat or you can use the freephone number: 0808 1962282. Hours this week are 8.30am to 5.00pm, Monday to Friday. #BEPARTOFTHESOLUTION