Teachers in Aberdeen have been told to turn their track and trace apps off when working – despite the First Minister giving opposite advice.
A letter was circulated to teaching staff across the city, with a message from chief education officer Eleanor Sheppard on behalf of Caroline Johnstone, QIM.
It asks staff to turn off their Track and Trace apps, as it “is not able to identify when robust mitigations have been in place”.
The letter states: “As you know the high level of Covid controls and safety measures wihin our school buildings have been working extremely well.
“We continue to have positive cases reported, but increasingly, following Public Health investigation, no close contacts are being identified in either staff or pupils because of the mitigations in place in schools.
“Consistent wearing of fluid-resistant masks and strict adherence to 2m distancing have played a significant part in this.
“A recent case has highlighted an issue with the Track and Trace app, which many school staff will have downloaded.
“Unfortunately, when the app is on, staff working in schools may be notified of having been a close contact of a positive case even when a Public Health investigation of the full circumstances may have identified no close contacts.
“The system does not enable people to identify exactly where and when the contact took place and as a result some staff have received a text message instructing them to self-isolate when Public Health colleagues, with all the information about the mitigations in place, have identified there is no need to do so.
“Public Health colleagues have suggested that school staff should disable to remove the app while working in school buildings as the app is not able to identify when robust mitigations have been in place.
“Please ask staff in your schools to disable to Test and Trace app while working in school. The issue has been raised nationally and we hope to be able to share a more practical solution in the coming weeks.”
Despite the advice, the Scottish Government has advised teachers not to switch off the app – as it would “defeat the purpose” of it.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “I understand there may have been an incident in a school in Aberdeen, where a number of phones perhaps were together but the owners were not, therefore they all got pinged.
“That is not a flaw – that is about if you are not with your phone, switching off the app is not something that is causing a problem.
“We shouldn’t be asking people to switch off the app when they have their phone with them that is defeating the purpose of Protect Scotland.
“We should be encouraging people to keep their phones on them with the app switched on to that Protect Scotland is working the way it should.
Professor Jason Leitch added: “Yes carry your phone with you – don’t switch the app off unless you are wearing PPE and in contact with patients and families that would protect you from.”
Aberdeen City Council co-leader Douglas Lumsden said: This is on the back of advice we have been given by public health.
“When there have been positive cases in schools public health have made an assessment that because teachers are wearing PPE, they aren’t deemed a close contact and therefore are not at risk.
“Based on the advice from public health, that is why that email was put out.
“We have passed the issue to the Scottish Government to investigate.
“There should be national guidance given to local authorities so we can then give that to members of staff.
“Health and social care workers have also been told to turn the app off.”