Entire class of Glasgow schoolchildren forced to self-isolate after positive Covid-19 test
A class of Glasgow schoolchildren and their teacher will have to self-isolate after a positive Covid-19 case emerged.
The case was confirmed at St Albert’s Primary School in Pollokshields, Glasgow, but the local authority says there is "no evidence of transmission within the school itself”.
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Hide AdParents were sent a letter on Wednesday morning informing them of the contact tracing process taking place.
A spokeswoman for Glasgow City Council said: “The school is working closely with our public health colleagues who’ve confirmed that robust control measures are in place at the school, and there is currently no evidence of transmission within the school itself.
“The test and protect team has contacted any families whose child needs to self-isolate as a precaution for 14 days and the school has already arranged for these pupils to be taught online during this period.
“A public health letter of reassurance has been sent to all families with information and advice.”
The letter from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde says the health board is working closely with the school and council to carry out a risk assessment and “establish a list of close contacts within the school”.
Children across Scotland started returning to classrooms on August 11 following the coronavirus shutdown.
On Tuesday (August 18), Scotland’s First Minister said that cases of Covid-19 in schools will “inevitably rise”.
Nicola Sturgeon warned that community transmission of the virus will likely see school cases rise but the balance must be in favour of keeping schools open.
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Hide AdShe said: "All of the cases that we have seen so far which have involved school students suggest that transmission has taken place outside of the schools not in the schools.
"That emphasises again the importance of keeping transmission rates as low as possible in the community continuing to do everything we can to drive these transmission rates as close to elimination levels as we can.
"That’s good for our overall health and well-being and the overall fight against this virus but it is also the action that will allow us to keep schools safely open.”
The First Minister said it is “overwhelmingly” more important for children to return to school full time than to not do so and said that blending learning remained a contingency if cases rose to a point where local lockdowns or specific measures were deemed necessary.
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