"Staff members or customers should self-isolate if they or someone in their household has a new, persistent cough; a high temperature; or loses/has changes to their sense of taste or smell, even if these symptoms are mild. They must also self-isolate if they or someone in their household has had a positive COVID-19 result, or if they have been told to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace." (from the ‘Priority actions’ section of the Events and Attractions guidance)
Stopping people with Covid coming to your rehearsal is the best way to stop the spread. This largely comes down to personal responsibility on the individuals, but you do have a role to play:
- Remind members about when they shouldn’t come to rehearsal and encourage them to consider things like transport routes.
- Don’t focus just on Covid. If a member has any symptoms which could be related to Covid or another respiratory disease, such as flu or colds, they should stay away from rehearsals. This is because it could be Covid (additional symptoms have been identified through a large scale study), but even if it isn’t, it’s best to not spread colds / flu. These symptoms could be:
- Sneezing
- Headache
- Runny nose
- Loss of smell
- Cough
- Store throat
- Fever
- Encourage members to take regular lateral flow tests (LFT):
- In England the advice changed on 23 November to recommend that people take an LFT if they will be:
- in a high risk situation that day:
- in crowded and enclosed spaces
- there is limited fresh air
- visiting someone who is at higher risk of getting seriously ill from COVID-19
- in a high risk situation that day:
- In Norther Ireland, Scotland and Wales the recommendations is twice a week (this does not have to be the same day as the rehearsal).
- In England the advice changed on 23 November to recommend that people take an LFT if they will be:
"The use of temperature screening products is not recommended by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, as there is little scientific evidence to support temperature screening as a reliable method for detection of COVID-19, particularly for asymptomatic cases." (Reducing risk to customers section of the guidance).
