Dunfermline school closed as staff and pupils across Fife contract Covid

More than 60 pupils and staff at Kinross High School have been told to self- isolate after a teacher tested positive for coronavirus, and a Dunfermline primary school has been closed following six confirmed cases.

They join a growing number of clusters being reported in schools across Tayside and Fife as the region prepares to follow Dundee into Tier 3 restrictions on movement.

Perth and Kinross Council chiefs confirmed a total of 56 pupils, eight employees and one contract worker at Kinross were staying at home after the single case was detected.

An S4 pupil has also tested positive at Blairgowrie High School, forcing 13 classmates into self-isolation.

And the re we re confirmed cases among two children at Dunning Primary School, meaning 24 pupils and three staff need to isolate. The school has a roll of fewer than 120.

The figures were released by Perth and Kinross Council ahead of the shift to Tier 3 status tomorrow.

The tougher restriction level means students in S4 and S6 and their teachers will be subject to Scottish Government guidance that they should wear masks during lessons, as well as in corridors and other communal areas of school buildings.

S 1- S 3 pupils are also being requested to consider wearing face coverings in class.

Elsewhere, Torryburn Primary in Dunfermline has been forced to close until the end of next week after six individuals connected with it tested positive for Covid-19.

It will be closed until Friday November 20 as “an extra precaution”, Fife Council confirmed.

A number of members of staff and the P 1-2, P 3-4 and P6-7 classes are all being asked to self-isolate.

The nursery at Torryburn had been closed on Monday, Tuesday and yesterday due to “staffing issues”. Three positive cases of the virus had been linked with it.

A Fife Council spokeswoman said: “Remote learning will be in place for the period of closure.

“These measures are being put in place as an extra precaution to help us better manage th is community cluster.

“All positive cases continue to experience relatively mild symptoms and are isolating at home with other household members.”

Single cases have been detected at Path head Primary School, Kirkcaldy; St Columba’s RC Primary School, Cupar; Kinglassie Primary School; and St Columba’s High School, Dunfermline.

There have also been two further cases at Balwearie High School in Kirkcaldy, taking the total number of positive cases there since the start of term to five.

St Andrew’s RC High School, also in Kirkcaldy, has recorded a further case of Covid-19 – resulting in a cumulative figure of three since schools returned in October.

Meanwhile, two people linked with Auchmuty High School, Glenrothes, and individuals at Lochgelly High School, L even mouth Academy, Buckhaven , and St Columba’s High School in Dunfermline tested positive for the virus.

NHS Fife also confirmed a single case associated with a nursery class at Pitcoudie Primary School in Glenrothes.

In all cases, pupils were in school during their infectious period. However, NHS Fife said this does not automatically mean there is evidence of transmission within the schools.

A case has also been confirmed in a senior pupil attending Grove Academy, Dundee.

Close contacts of the S6 pupil have been identified and asked to isolate for a fortnight.

Two cases linked to the Montrose Academy community were confirmed yesterday, with these individuals and their close contacts being asked to self-isolate.

The school remains open and those pupils who have not been identified as a close contact are still required to attend.

A further two cases connected with Harris Academy in Dundee have also been confirmed, bringing the total number of cases linked to the school to five.

All pupils in Dundee’s secondary schools are already required to wear face coverings in all areas of school buildings.

Pressed on the effectiveness of school safe ty measures when questioned on the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland programme yesterday, Deputy First Minister and Perthshire North MSP John Swinney said: “There is a challenging situation in our schools.

“Our teaching staff have done an incredible job in making sure that full-time education has been available for young people in Scotland since August 11.

“We are generally seeing attendance by pupils at around about 90%. The average in Scotland last year was 93% over the whole of the year, so obviously there is a degree of reduction because of Covid.

“In terms of staff attendance, generally we are seeing a very high level with about two-to-three per cent staff absences, varying in different parts of the country.

“When you look into the particular outbreaks that take place that affect school pupils or staff, we tend to find those are cases where there has been an external community transmission. There is very little evidence of in-school transmissions.

“The fundamental point is that our schools are very safe . The mitigation measures that we have insisted upon being in place are being followed, and must be followed in all circumstances, to make sure our schools are safe for staff and pupils.”