AN MP has highlighted concerns of York parents in the House of Commons about the disruption caused to children who have to self isolate.

York Outer MP Julian Sturdy tabled a question to the Education Secretary to ask about the viability ofpupils taking daily Covid-19 tests rather than self-isolation following contact with someone who had tested positive.

He said constituents had raised the issue with him, adding that 10 days of self isolation was 'a significant ask for working parents and children who have already missed out on a great deal of face-to-face learning'.

Nick Gibb, Minister of State, said a pilot of daily contact testing as an alternative to self-isolation was underway. "If beneficial, a roll-out could start in secondary schools and colleges in the autumn term."

Mr Sturdy said: "If successful, this has the potential to be a valuable tool in cutting transmission, while keeping students and staff in school. I look forward to seeing the results of this trial and hopefully its implementation in local schools in due course.”

In his response, Mr Gibb also said: "Daily contact testing, used as an alternative to self- isolation if a positive case is detected, continues to have the potential to be a valuable tool to identify positive contacts and break chains of transmission, while keeping more students and staff at school and college, which is the best place for their development and wellbeing.

"A trial is being coordinated by the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Education, and the Office of National Statistics.

"It is being overseen by an independent Data Monitoring Committee and evaluated by researchers at the University of Oxford.

"The trial was also given ethical approval by the Public Health England Research Ethics and Governance Group.

"The findings of the independent clinical trial are due to report in the summer and, if beneficial, a roll out could commence in secondary schools and colleges during the autumn term.

"With respect to daily contact testing for the adult population, on April 29, 2021, a randomised controlled study started in England to evaluate the home use of seven daily lateral flow tests plus two polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, with the option for study participants to be released from self isolation for up to 24 hours following a negative result.

"A business as usual comparison group will be offered a single PCR test and asked to self-isolate for the 10 day period as usual."