»»Four pupils suffer ‘flu-like symptoms’ »»38 schools in Britain affected as illness spreads
BY RICHARD PALMER AND DAVID PILDITCH
THE school attended by Prince George and Princess Charlotte is one of at least 38 in the UK hit by coronovirus, it emerged last night.
Four pupils at Thomas’s Battersea in London have been tested for the flu-like illness after returning from holidays in northern Italy and Tenerife.
The kids had symptoms associated with the virus, it is understood.
None of the pupils has tested positive and the symptoms, coughing or fever, could be signs of other illnesses but the school has kept the pupils at home in line with Governnment policy.
The school has sent an email to parents to keep them updated.
A spokeswoman for Thomas’s Battersea told our sister paper the Daily Express: “We are taking the potential risks connected with the spread of Covid-19 very seriously and are following Government guidance on prevention against infection and in dealing with cases where any staff or pupils are suspected of being exposed to the virus.
“We have a very small number of pupils who have been tested and these individuals are remaining at home pending the receipt of their test results.
“All parents have been informed and we have maintained communication with our school community to ensure important information is circulated. We won’t be commenting on specific cases.”
The school remains open and all other pupils are attending as normal.
It is understood that George, six, and Charlotte, four, have not have come into contact with the affected children since they returned from their holidays. Their vacations were in areas where the virus has been confirmed.
Elsewhere, schools across the country were in lockdown and hundreds of pupils sent home yesterday amid fears of the scale of the coronavirus crisis.
At least 14 schools were closed and 23 others had sent pupils home or ordered students to remain in quarantine for 14 days. Despite calls from Health Secretary Matt Hancock for classrooms to remain open, headteachers took urgent action.
On a day of escalating fears, firms shut their doors, travel plans were thrown into chaos and major sporting events were hit, including Ireland’s Six Nations rugby clash against Italy in Dublin.
The fixture scheduled for March 7 was postponed and an explosion of cases in Italy could lead to England’s final match in Rome on March 14 also being hit, throwing the tournament into chaos.
It comes as millions of people were urged to “keep their distance” to prevent