OVER 200 PUPILS TESTED POSITIVE

Shock figures for West Lothian schools

It has been revealed that over 200 children tested positive for Covid-19 in West Lothian schools during March alone.

The Courier sent off a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to Public Health Scotland and discovered that 222 pupils tested positive for Covid-19 between March 1 and March 28 in West Lothian schools.

One school, Peel Primary in Livingston, recorded 77 cases, leading to it being shut for a week.

West Lothian was the most infectious region in Scotland throughout this period as Covid-19 spread through schools.

The FOI also revealed that 39 schools in West Lothian were identified as having at least one pupil that tested positive for the virus during the month of March.

And there were five schools in West Lothian with significant outbreaks of the virus, with at least 10 pupils that tested positive.

They were: Peel Primary with 77 cases, Our Lady’s Primary School with 23, Deans Primary School had 12, Inveralmond Community High School reported 12 and Williamston Primary School had 10 pupils with confirmed cases.

A Public Health Scotland spokesperson said they could not provide an exact number of cases for outbreaks in schools with under 10 cases because it might identify

the children. The following schools had at least one pupil testing positive: Armadale Academy, Armadale Primary School, Balbardie Primary School, Bankton Primary School, Bathgate Academy, Blackburn Primary School, Broxburn Academy, Carmondean Primary School, Deans Community High School, Deans Primary School, East Calder Primary School, Howden St Andrew’s Primary School, Inveralmond Community High School, JamesYoung High School, Kirkhill Primary School, Linlithgow Academy, Linlithgow Primary School, Livingston Village Primary School, Our Lady’s Primary School, Parkhead Primary School, Peel Primary School, Polkemmet Primary School, Riverside Primary School, Springfield Primary School, St Anthony’s Primary School,St Kentigern’s Academy, St Margaret’s Academy, St Mary’s Primary School (Polbeth), St Mary’s Primary School (Bathgate), St Ninian’s Primary School, St Paul’s Primary School, Toronto Primary School, West Calder High School, Whitburn Academy, Whitdale Primary School, Williamston Primary School, Winchburgh Primary School and Windyknowe Primary School.

A West Lothian Council spokesperson said:“It is inevitable that increased community testing and testing within schools has led to more positive Covid cases being identified.

“Parents/carers are kept informed of any Covid cases affecting their child’s school and we follow public health advice at all times. The data shows that significantly less than one per cent of West Lothian school pupils were affected, with the cases reflecting the prevalence of Covid in the local communities our schools serve.”