Cases rise in schools
Big rise in covid cases in schools
Covid cases in schools have rocketed in the past fortnight - with almost 200 positive people identified on campuses.
Documents obtained by the Paisley Daily Express show that 189 pupils and staff have tested positive for the virus since May 20.
They are spread across 26 schools in the local authority area.
Hundreds more children have been asked to self-isolate.
The news comes as it is confirmed that Renfrew North and Renfrew West have both recorded more than 900 cases per 100,000 of population.
This has resulted in an influx of cases at Kirklandneuk Primary School specifically.
A cluster in the immediate community around the school has seen 110 people test positive and 215 people asked to self-isolate.
Concerns have also been raised about the levels of infection at Gryffe High School.
One school employee said she fears there are upwards of 200 children who have been asked to self- isolate after being named a close contact of someone with the virus in the school.
It is understood that 110 fourth year students were absent due to isolation in
and around May 24, with a further 100 third year students also asked to self isolate as of Tuesday.
A spokesman for Renfrewshire Council said rigorous testing of pupils and staff, as well as wider community testing and the new requirement that all close contacts to also get a PCR tests means more covid cases are being identified than ever before.
He said: “Cases of Covid-19 have been rising across Renfrewshire in the past two weeks and it is inevitable some of these cases will be among school-aged pupils.
“It is not necessarily the case the virus will have been transmitted in school.
“Every case identified means a potential chain of transmission can be stopped and each case connected to a school is individually discussed in terms of close contacts.
“We follow all public health advice, and robust safety measures in our schools and nurseries include enhanced cleaning, ventilation, physical distancing between adults and pupils, and the use of face coverings.”
Renfrew North and West are now producing some of the highest infection rates recorded in Renfrewshire.
Both are currently recording 18 times the number of cases expected for areas operating under Level 2 restrictions.
A mobile testing unit was deployed to Kirklandneuk Community Centre yesterday in a bid to identify people who may have the virus but may not know it.
People are also being invited to attend a test centre at Renfrew Town Hall, which will, alongside the Kirklandneuk facility, operate for the next two weeks.
But more drastic measures are also being considered to curb the spread, with council bosses and health chiefs considering going door to door to test more families.
In a covid briefing paper shared with the Express, Renfrewshire Council chief executive Sandra Black said: “Officers have also been developing a door to door surge testing mobilisation plan, should it be required, similar to the work successfully undertaken in Glasgow.”