Covid-19 important update

We have become aware that a significant number of students from Bassingbourn Village College have tested positive for COVID-19. There is a concern that the meeting up of friendship groups during the Christmas holiday could cause the virus to spread further amongst young people and also into the wider population, including to vulnerable and older people.

Cambridgeshire is currently a high alert Tier 2 area with positive cases rapidly rising, with the surrounding counties of Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire being in Tier 4.

It is also worth remembering that one in three people who have coronavirus have no symptoms and will be spreading it without realising it. Therefore, to help stop the spread of the virus and to ensure your school is able to open in the New Year, we urge you and your family to follow the rules around hands, face and space, including:

hands: wash your hands regularly and for 20 seconds
face: wear a face-covering in indoor settings where social distancing may be difficult, and where you will come into contact with people you do not normally meet
space: stay 2 metres apart from people you do not live with where possible, or 1 metre with extra precautions in place (such as wearing face coverings)

For those in Tier 2, when meeting people you do not live with, it is important to do so outdoors where possible or to make sure that any indoor venue has good ventilation (for example by opening windows so that fresh air can enter).

Meeting outdoors (Tier 2)

You can see friends and family you do not live with (or do not have a support bubble with) outdoors, in a group of no more than 6. This limit of 6 includes children of any age. ‘Outdoors’ means in a private garden or other outdoor space.

If you live in a Tier 4 area, you must follow the rules below.

This means that you cannot leave or be outside of the place you are living unless you have a reasonable excuse. You cannot meet other people indoors, including over the Christmas and New Year period, unless you live with them, or they are part of your support bubble. Outdoors, you can only meet one person from another household. These rules will not be relaxed for Christmas for Tier 4 – you cannot form a Christmas bubble in Tier 4.

For more information on the specific Tier regulations for your specific area, please visit https://www.gov.uk/guidance/local-restriction-tiers-what-you-need-to-know

It is vital that we follow these simple instructions to stop the spread of coronavirus. We wish you a safe and happy Christmas and New Year.

22nd December 2020