PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Students: Coronavirus (14 December 2021)
Question Asked
Asked by:
Matt Western (Labour)
Answer
The safety of students, staff and wider communities is the government’s priority.
As outlined in our guidance to the sector, students were advised to take a test before they travelled home for the Christmas break: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/higher-education-reopening-buildings-and-campuses. We advised students to continue to test at home and to test before they travel back to their term time accommodation in January, using test kits issued by their university before the Christmas break, ordered online, or collected from their local pharmacy.
For those who are returning from abroad, the government has set out specific measures for people entering England with a test 2 days beforehand for those who are not considered fully vaccinated as well as testing on arrival for all. This includes measures for those who are not considered fully vaccinated, which would require quarantining at their place of residence for 10 days.
It has been impressive to see so many students playing their part by getting vaccinated. We strongly encourage all students to get both doses of the vaccine and the booster jab as soon as possible, unless they are medically exempt, to protect themselves and others from the spread of COVID-19.
All higher education (HE) providers have plans for managing and controlling outbreaks. These have been agreed with local directors of public health and continue to be reviewed and updated based on emerging lessons and local situations. We expect HE providers to continue to prioritise the health and safety of their staff, students, and local community by putting in place measures that apply to their individual circumstances.
Answered by:
Michelle Donelan (Conservative)
7 January 2022
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