When nurseries and schools re-open from Monday 22 February, nurseries attached to primary schools will offer their staff twice weekly COVID-19 tests. This testing regime will then be rolled out to other nurseries and private, voluntary and independent settings.
We understand that some childminders may feel that they have been forgotten about; however, we want to stress that this is not the case. Regular testing is being prioritised for schools and nurseries due to the number of staff working together in these settings and there is therefore greater risk associated with adult-to-adult transmission. In contrast, the majority of childminders are sole workers, so the risk of transmission is far reduced.
However, the Scottish Government do recognise that childminders may be concerned at times that they could have been exposed to the virus. As a result, a route has been made available to enable childminders to access an on demand asymptomatic PCR test in such circumstances, which could provide you with reassurance when you need it.
It is important to remember that the asymptomatic testing programme does not replace the safety measures and mitigations that you have put in place within your childminding setting. We must all remain vigilant in continuing to follow all appropriate measures to ensure settings remain low risk environments.
Read more and find out how to access testing