360 Covid cases are reported in schools
STUDENTS AND STAFF TESTING POSITIVE SINCE CLASSES RESUMED
MORE than 360 coronavirus cases have now been reported in schools across schools in Leicester and Leicestershire.
Education bosses yesterday released the latest statistics of the number of infections within schools since classes resumed after lockdown at the end of August and early last month.
Leicester City Council has revealed 135 children and 71 teachers and other staff have been infected and have had to self-isolate.
The cases have been spread over 46 schools of the city’s 122 schools.
This week, 11 cases have been detected in city schools which include Judgemeadow Community College and Nether Hall School.
Officials have also revealed 6,000 children who had been in close contact with people who tested positive have been forced to go home and self-isolate.
One school, Ellesmere College in Rowley Fields, had a mini-outbreak of Covid-19 and had to close entirely but it is now open again.
In the county, 91 students have tested positive for the virus along with a total of 66 staff members, in over 75 schools.
Education officials have pointed out that the number of cases is small when set against a school-age population of some 150,000 in the city and county and thousands of adults who work in schools.
Debra Talyor, County Hall’s cabinet member for children and families, said: “To put this into context, there are thousands of children who attend our schools every day and we are confident that schools are following guidance and have put, and are continuing to put, measures into place to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
“We continue to urge parents to be vigilant in checking for any symptoms using government guidance, to wear face coverings on the school run if able to, wash their hands frequently and practice social distancing.”
Leicester’s strategic director of education and social care Marin Samuels has said measures put in place by schools had largely prevented the spread of the virus within them and that most cases had been picked up in the community and only detected by school systems.
The government has made it mandatory for parent and carers to send their children back to school despite remaining anxieties about the virus. However, both the city and county councils have said enforcement action will be only a last resort against parents who do not ensure their children attend.
They hope parents will become increasingly confident about the effectiveness of the steps taken to stop the virus from passing around in schools.