SCHOOL WILL BE
Council bosses reassure parents amid number of cases
ACOVID-HIT East End school will remain open despite a “large number” of pupils being sent home. Council bosses say they are working closely with health officials to ensure Whitehill Secondary in Dennistoun is safe amid fears the education hub has been affected by multiple outbreaks of the virus.
It is understood a large number of children in S3 to S6 from the Onslow Drive school are currently in quarantine and a deep clean was carried out over the weekend.
In a bid to reassure parents, a letter has been sent out by Glasgow City Council staff this week outlining the “robust measures” in place.
A council spokeswoman said: “Following some positive cases linked with the school, a number of pupils and staff who’ve been identified as close contacts are self-isolating as a precaution.
“A letter of reassurance has been sent to parents to keep them informed of the robust measures in place at the school to help reduce the spread of the virus and an enhanced, deep clean of the school was carried out over the weekend.
“The advice from our public health experts is that a school should remain open – as it would be more detrimental for our young people to have any more disruption than is necessary to their learning and teaching – and staff will continue to support young people over this challenging period.
“Everyone has been reminded to continue to follow the rules to help keep everyone as safe as possible – wear face coverings, clean our hands regularly, physically distance where possible and self-isolate and book a test if you have symptoms.”
Meanwhile, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has promised visitors to care homes will be tested.
She was asked to ensure families are priorities before “it is too late”.
New guidance was issued last month in a bid to allow easier access to nursing homes, but it has been claimed many are still having difficulty.
Speaking during First Minister’s Questions yesterday, Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard
said: “One month on from the introduction of new guidance on care home visiting, 90% of families contacted say they have seen no improvement. Many said it was getting worse.
“One relative said: ‘They feel constant stress and separation anxiety as mum becomes frail and is asking for me. I feel I am letting her down.’
“This could be changed if care home visitors could get tested and after nine months of isolation families are calling for our help to reunite them with their loved ones.
“They say they are running out of time and need to see it now.
“If rapid testing can be prioritised for students, why can’t it be prioritised for these desperate families?”
Responding to Leonard, the First Minister said: “We all want to see as much normality, that’s why we are introducing testing for care home visitors.
“But, we have to strike the right balance between allowing families to visit and that we are in a period of higher prevalence of the virus, to keep residents safe.
“We will continue to take steps to get the balance right and make sure we protect people in care homes in the broadest sense.”
Sturgeon announced a further 45 deaths from the virus in Scotland. In the Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board area, there were 474 new virus cases in the previous 24 hours.