A member of staff at a York school has tested positive for coronavirus.
They work at New Earswick Primary School.
The person involved is self-isolating at home and a risk assessment has been carried out to check whether they have come into contact with other staff or pupils who need to self-isolate.
A spokesperson for Pathfinder Multi Academy Trust said: “Having done this we have concluded that it is not necessary to close the whole school or to send a whole bubble home from school.
“We can also assure you that the necessary cleaning and disinfection of the school premises has taken place.
“We would like to reassure parents, pupils and staff that we have followed all the necessary guidance and the school is safe to remain open.”
The trust’s full statement is below.
Statement by educational trust
A spokesperson for Pathfinder Multi Academy Trust said:
“We can confirm that a member of staff from New Earswick Primary School has tested positive for Covid-19. The individual has not been in school since they developed symptoms and has been self-isolating, as per government advice.
The protective measures in our schools are robust and we have reviewed the circumstances of this case with Public Health York. A risk assessment has been carried out to determine if there was any contact with other staff or pupils that would require anyone else to self-isolate.
Having done this we have concluded that it is not necessary to close the whole school or to send a whole bubble home from school.
We can also assure you that the necessary cleaning and disinfection of the school premises has taken place. We would like to reassure parents, pupils and staff that we have followed all the necessary guidance and the school is safe to remain open.
Having reviewed the situation, it is unlikely that this positive case resulted from within the school, but rather was contracted out of school.
If other cases are detected in school, Public Health England’s local health protection teams will conduct a rapid investigation and will advise us on any further actions that need to be taken.
Parents, staff and the local community will be kept fully informed of any developments.
We understand that parents and pupils may find this news worrying and we encourage parents to contact the school if they wish to discuss any concerns.
We would like to remind our parents and carers that if their child or a member of their household develops any of the coronavirus symptoms:
– a high temperature
– a new continuous cough or
– a loss or change to their sense of taste or smell,
do not come into school and arrange a coronavirus test as soon as possible.
We would like to wish our member of staff a speedy recovery.