The guidance for secondary and primary pupils is slightly different but a number of measures are the same. These include:
- Continue to follow guidance on hygiene and hand washing
- Maintain distance and avoiding gathering in groups during the school day and before and after school
- Parents and cares should always adhere to the 2m rule at the school gates, during drop off and pick up
- Avoid car sharing, including on the school run
Executive councillor for Education, David Dodds said: "We are pleased that young people are set to return to the classroom and it marks an important milestone, but it's vitally important that these measures are followed to allow our schools to remain open and keep the virus under control.
"Schools are closely following the Scottish Government guidance and a large number of measures are in place within schools to protect young people.
"There is signage outside and inside schools to remind parents and pupils of the measures to take but it really does rely on everyone adhering to guidance in good faith, and complying with the spirit of the measures being promoted by public health professionals.
"More testing is being carried out within and out with schools and that is a deliberate and targeted process to help reduce transmission of the virus within communities. By identifying confirmed cases, testing allows the individual to self-isolate and help stop the spread of the virus.
"Everything you do to follow these measures, can take to keep the spread of the coronavirus down and help to ensure the smooth and full reopening of schools."
Dr Elaine Cook, Depute Chief Executive of West Lothian Council added: "We all know the virus is still within our local communities, and that schools reflect their communities.
"It is therefore inevitable, at this stage, that some confirmed cases will continue to affect some schools, particularly in the short term.
"What is reassuring is that NHS Lothian have previously confirmed that this is not surprising to them given the overall number of confirmed cases in some communities, and that identifying new cases does not necessarily mean that the situation is getting worse. As we work to control the outbreak, more people are being asked to take tests and they are finding more positive cases, some of whom have no symptoms and would ordinarily have never been picked up.
"NHS Lothian also confirmed that most of the new cases are people who have the infection but show no symptoms. In the past many of these people would not have been tested and the virus would have continued to spread, unknowingly, to others.
"What is key at this stage is to self-isolate if you or your child has tested positive, even if you have no symptoms, or if anyone is identified as a close contact of someone who has tested positive. Please remember if your child or anyone in your household has one or more symptoms of COVID-19 (a new, continuous cough, a high temperature/fever, or loss of, or change in, sense of smell or taste) you should ALL stay at home, arrange to be tested and don't enter the school.
"All schools have robust online learning arrangements in place and no child will miss out on education should they have to isolate at home for a short period of time. What is most important is that we protect one another, reduce the spread of the virus and allow our young people to learn and develop going forward."
