One in five schools in region now hit by Covid

THE number of schools to confirm Covid cases across Greater Manchester has soared above one in five – with 272 now affected.

At one secondary - Philips High in Whitefield, Bury - there have been 18 positive tests and the whole of Year 11 has been sent home.

Now only the nursery children remain at Godley Community Primary in Hyde after it was forced to close to every other year group.

Elsewhere bubbles of children are continuing to be sent home across Greater Manchester, including Monton Green Primary in Salford, where there’s been a confirmed case in Year 6 and Spotland Primary in Rochdale, which has sent home a class from Year 3, a class from Year 4 and two Year 5 classes.

While we have not been alerted to every closure - and the true figure is expected to be even higher - the latest list includes a number of confirmed cases among Wigan schools after the council started releasing its own weekly update to show which ones have been affected across the borough.

Some schools which already had a number of children at home have had to tell more to stay off, including Crompton House in Oldham, where close contacts of a confirmed case in Year 12 are now also isolating, and Co-op Academies in Walkden and Failsworth, where Year 10s are now also at home.

At Ringway Primary in Wythenshawe, the nursery is isolating as well as a Year 5 class and at Trinity C of E High in Manchester a second member of staff has tested positive, meaning close contacts are isolating. Some high schools in the region are continuing to send home entire year groups following a positive case, including Priestnall in Stockport, which has told Year 8 to stay off, and St Monica’s RC High in Prestwich, where Year 11 is affected.

At Altrincham Grammar School for Girls there have been further positive tests on pupils in Years 8 and 10, with close contacts asked to isolate.