SCHOOLS AT CENTRE OF A COVID CRISIS
Four schools were at the centre of a coronavirus crisis after a number of outbreaks were confirmed just days after children returned from the October break.
An entire class has been put into a two- week lockdown at Coylton Primary, the Post can reveal.
Staff and pupils were isolating after second outbreaks in a month were confirmed at Belmont and Ayr Academies.
And it’s a similar story at Ayr’s Kyle Academy where a “small number of individuals” have been ordered to isolate following a positive Covid case at the school.
Four schools were this week at the centre of a coronavirus crisis after a number of outbreaks were confirmed just days after children returned from the October break.
An entire class has been put into a two- week lockdown at Coylton Primary, the Post can reveal.
Staff and pupils were isolating after second outbreaks in a month were confirmed at Belmont and Ayr Academies.
And it’s a similar story at Ayr’s Kyle Academy where a “small number of individuals” have been ordered to isolate following a positive Covid case at the school.
Less than a week after pupils returned to their desks, the entire Coylton class, including their teacher, were told to self- isolate for 14 days following the scare.
Education will take place via “blended learning” over Microsoft Teams technology during the next fortnight.
It follows a positive case of Covid- 19 within the class.
NHS Ayrshire & Arran’s Test & Protect team have moved to quarantine those affected but stressed the risk to pupils was “very low”.
The self- isolation period began on Monday.
A statement from Coylton Primary’s Parent Council read: “Each family affected has been called by a member of the senior leadership team to inform them and check their well- being.
“These pupils will be supported by the school through blended learning on Teams for the fortnight.
“The classroom has been quarantined and will receive a full deep clean in due course.
“As a Parent Council, we wish the individual a speedy recovery and will continue to support the school in anyway we can during these challenging times.”
Joy Tomlinson, Joint Director of Public Health at NHS Ayrshire & Arran, added: “We appreciate this is a very worrying time.
“However, we would like to assure you that every measure is being taken to protect pupils, their families and staff.”
It comes as the similar scares hit Ayr, Kyle ( see story below) and Belmont Academies.
A Belmont source told the Post: “There’s been ANOTHER outbreak here. This has become a bit of a schools’ issue now with outbreaks at Ayr, Kyle, Coylton and Belmont in three days after return.”
In a generic email to staff NHS bosses repeated the statement sent to Coylton, again insisting the risk to public was “low”.
NHS bosses refused to explain, when asked by the Post, why the entire Coylton class had been placed on lockdown.
It is understood rules around a lack of social distancing among primary school children has led to the automatic move, rather than concerns among widespread infection.