Albrighton school closes for a week after positive coronavirus case
A school in Albrighton has closed to all pupils and staff due to a confirmed case of coronavirus.
On advice from Public Health England (PHE) West Midlands, St Mary's CE Primary School in Albrighton decided to close the school today until next Thursday to all pupils and staff.
A case of Covid-19 was confirmed at the primary school on Shaw Lane and the individual is now self-isolating for 10 days and the school is in the process of a deep clean.
There will be a staggered return for pupils between Thursday 24 and Friday 25.
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Rachel Robinson, Shropshire’s Director of Public Health said: “We want to reassure students and parents/carers that the risk of infection is very low. St Mary’s CE Primary School has taken all the necessary precautions to ensure to limit the spread of the virus.
“To date, there has only have one confirmed case. Anyone who is symptomatic will be offered immediate testing. Contact tracing is underway and if anyone is identified as a contact of a confirmed case of Covid-19, a contact advisor from Test, Trace will be in touch with appropriate advice.
“We are not addressing this as an outbreak at this moment in time, but we’ll remain in close contact with the senior leaders in the school, should the situation change.
Priority
“Protecting the health of our population remains a priority, and at this time we would also like to remind everyone to follow social distancing advice to reduce their social interaction with other people.
“Good hand hygiene remains the best protection against the virus, including washing your hands more regularly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and covering your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
“If you are showing coronavirus symptoms, or if you or any of your household are self-isolating, for example if you have been contacted as part of the test and trace programme, you should stay at home – this is critical to staying safe and saving lives.”
PHE has advised the school to clean the premises thoroughly; especially touch points like door handles, communal areas like toilets and dining hall, and anywhere else the individuals spent time, to reduce risk of further infection. St Mary’s has informed parents, carers and staff of the situation and said measures are being taken to make the school Covid-19 safe.
Amanda Skidmore, headteacher of St Mary’s CE Primary School, Albrighton said: “On PHE advice we are having to close to protect all of the children and staff in our school following a positive Covid-19 test in our education community. We will reopen when it is safe to do so but will be supporting our pupils during this period with remote learning.”
If anyone has queries, they are advised to contact Shropshire Council’s Education Line on 0345 678 9008, which is open from 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday. Press 5 for back to school enquiries.
