Welsh Government CMO Letter
The changes include the following for confirmed contacts of someone with COVID:
- Unvaccinated staff are now advised to take LFTs on day 2 and 8 of their 10 day isolation period, instead of a PCR test. These unvaccinated individuals must remain in isolation until day 11 regardless of the LFT result on day 2 and 8
- Fully vaccinated staff who are not in close contact with vulnerable patients may return to work
- Fully vaccinated staff who are in close contact with patients will need to contact their manager and may be required to have a negative PCR result before returning to work. These staff should also continue to use LFTs before coming into work
- Fully vaccinated staff who work in close contact with patients/service users who are known to be immunosuppressed and/or clinically extremely vulnerable will not continue to work with these patients/service users. Staff should be redeployed to work with patients/service users who are not immunosuppressed and/or clinically extremely vulnerable. They will be asked to take the necessary tests or asked not to attend work
- Anyone without symptoms who tests positive from a LFT are no longer advised to take a follow up PCR test, however, those with the main symptoms of COVID should continue to book PCR tests and not rely on only taking a LFT
- Staff who undertake regular asymptomatic PCR tests should not use a PCR for 90 days unless they develop new core symptoms of COVID-19 or are required to do so under international travel requirements.
By now most Health and Social Care settings across Wales will be registered on the online portal through which LFTs can be ordered and delivered directly to the setting. If any practice has not yet done this, they can do so by contacting [email protected].