Lateral flow kits for direct contacts in households, critical infrastructure, emergency services and the care sector
Islanders who are 12 and above, who live with someone who is positive with COVID-19, and all direct and indirect contacts who work in critical infrastructure roles, emergency services, or care, can now receive lateral flow test (LFT) kits.
The LFT kits will enable 10 days of rapid self-testing while following the direct contact advice. The kits will be distributed when the individual attends their PCR test.
To be eligible for the direct contact LFT kits, you must either be:
- Identified as living in the same household as someone who has tested positive for COVID-19
- employed within a critical infrastructure or emergency services role
- a care home or domiciliary care worker
Information and guidance on how to take the tests and reading results can be found online.
Director of Testing and Tracing, Rachel Williams said: “It can be worrying when someone in your home has tested positive for COVID-19. We hope that offering lateral flow test kits to household members will help to provide reassurance about your own COVID status, every day, so that you can make informed choices about your activities for that day.
“Lateral flow tests are designed for rapid results and are simple enough to be done at home in a matter of minutes, with results available in 20-30 minutes. Lateral Flow Tests can identify COVID-19 infections, especially if someone is highly infectious. I would encourage anyone who is offered the LFT kits to test themselves daily, to help keep families and our wider community safe.”
Direct contacts who do not live with someone who is positive, or who do not work in critical infrastructure or emergency services, will not be eligible to receive LFT kits at this time, but will need to undertake one PCR test as per the current guidance.
Director General for Justice and Home Affairs, Julian Blazeby said: “It is important that we keep our vital services maintained during this pandemic. By offering those direct contacts within critical infrastructure and emergency services 10 days of LFTs, we can be sure those services are operating safely and maintaining continuity across the Island.”
From Friday 30 July, individuals will be able to submit their LFT results via an online portal using a unique reference code sent to them by email.
Anyone identified as being eligible for the ‘direct contact’ LFT kits, who is currently undergoing weekly LFT testing in their workplace, should stop their workplace tests while conducting daily LFTs for the 10-day period. Direct contacts who are receiving regular PCR tests at their workplace, should continue to do so.
If an LFT comes back positive, the individual should immediately isolate and call the helpline to book a PCR. If any direct contact becomes symptomatic, they should stop using the LFT kit and book a PCR test by calling the helpline on 0800 735 5566. Symptomatic individuals are reminded they should not use public transport to journey to the test centres and should use private transport or arrange home visit.
Islanders can find out more by visiting gov.je and searching direct contacts.
Government of Jersey News Release.