UK coronavirus – TWELVE schools on infection alert as teachers and pupils told to quarantine themselves
TWELVE schools have been placed on coronavirus infection alert as teachers and pupils are told to quarantine themselves — amid frantic efforts to stop it spiralling out of control.
Over fears the deadly disease is spreading, panicked parents pulled kids out of Cottesmore St Mary’s Catholic and Bevendean Primary School in Brighton yesterday morning.
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Five people in Sussex have now been diagnosed with coronavirus and dozens of people who came into contact with them have been told to self-isolate by Public Health England (PHE).
Since then, a dozen schools in Brighton, Hove and Eastbourne have pupils or staff who are self-isolating as a precaution after several cases of coronavirus were diagnosed in the area.
Earlier today, two families at Carden Primary School were given stern instruction by PHE to stay at home for 14 days.
The Hollingbury learning establishment, is just opposite the County Oak Medical Centre — shut down and cleaned by workers in hazmat suits earlier this week.
Also announced today was the closure of two schools in fellow seaside town Eastbourne — just 21 miles east from the south coast city.
Parents of children at Ocklynge Primary School, were told a member of staff had come into contact with an infected person and has been told to stay at home for 14 days.
This comes after Ratton Secondary School released an almost identical statement.
Chaos also spread to Lancing Prep this afternoon.
School officials say they approached PHE for advice after a member from its school fell ill.
In an email sent this morning, it said: “We have been informed that a person from our school community has been advised by PHE to self-isolate after coming into contact with a potential coronavirus case.”
A parent of a pupil at Brighton Girls School was told advised to self-isolate for two weeks, amid fears they may have caught the virus.
And parents at St Luke’s Primary School were emailed by its headteacher after a member of staff was told to self-isolate for a fortnight.
SCHOOL SPREAD WARNING
The schools are among several that have been forced to issue warnings to parents.
Yesterday afternoon, one of the seaside city’s largest secondary schools warned mums and dads that a “member of its community” was in quarantine.
Varndean School, which has around 1,300 pupils, announced that a person connected to it had been told to self-isolate for 14 days by PHE, the reports.
Elsewhere, within a short walking distance, its sister school Balfour Primary also released the same statement.
Teachers at Hangleton Primary School also warned that a family were self-isolating over fears they might have caught the killer flu.
Brighton has become the epicentre of the virus after a cub Scout leader — dubbed the coronavirus “super-spreader” — unwittingly brought it into the UK last month following a business trip to Singapore.
Stephen Walsh, 53, from Hove, may have spread the virus to dozens of people without suffering any symptoms himself.
At Portslade Aldridge Community Academy, a pupil was advised to self-isolate for a fortnight after having contact with Mr Walsh.
It was confirmed today, however, that the student does not have the virus.
Petrified parents at Cottesmore St Mary’s Catholic Primary School in Hove told of their shock yesterday morning after learning two pupils – thought to be Mr Walsh’s children – were in quarantine.
Headteachers alerted parents via email to warn them of the potential coronavirus outbreak as staff members were advised to self-isolate after coming into “close contact” with the businessman.
Worried mum Fran Gray, 40, said she rushed 20 miles to pick up her daughter from school after a parent WhatsApp group “went crazy” at the news.
“Everyone is panicking and going crazy,” she told Sun Online.
It came as:
- Brit drug kingpin collapses in cell after extradition from Thai prison
- Super spreader Stephen Walsh “absolutely terrified” of being made “national scapegoat”
- Worthing Hospital A&E worker revealed to be one of eight Brits diagnosed with deadly disease
- Two health centres were shut in Brighton and pupils were advised to stay home
- A health centre in Berkshire was closed over fears a patient may have caught the bug
The UK remains on high alert as a growing number of people are tested for the highly contagious virus — labelled Covid-19 by the World Health Organization.
It comes after medics wearing hazmat suits were spotted in universities and health centres across the country.
Just last night, an A&E worker at Worthing Hospital was declared as one of the eight confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK.
Shockingly, the nurse treated patients for two days before being diagnosed with the disease.
According to reports, Chinese people are being pelted with sickening verbal abuse over the deadly outbreak.
As it stands, two prisoners are awaiting results after being tested for coronavirus yesterday afternoon at HM Prison Bullingdon in Bicester, Oxfordshire.
Similarly, a student from the University of Bath, suspected of having the killer-flu, was also placed in self-isolation to await results of a test.
And, in almost mirror-like circumstances, The University of Sussex confirmed one of their students — who recently returned from overseas — had been admitted to hospital for tests.
The results are not yet known.
Do you know anyone infected with coronavirus? Contact robert.mann@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368
Elsewhere, Boundary House Surgery in Bracknell, Berkshire, was put on lockdown to ensure a deep clean is carried out over coronavirus fears — sparking panic among locals.
Unconfirmed reports suggests that someone — who potentially has the deadly SARS-like virus — had booked into the extended-hours surgery after returning from Thailand.
With schools widely recognised as a playground for germs, parents have been left “fearing the worst”.
Two people from Cottesmore St Mary’s Catholic Primary School — where Mr Walsh’s children are believed to attend — are currently in self-isolation for the next 14 days.
The Sun Online approached the school yesterday who would not clarify if the two patients are pupils or teachers.
Meanwhile, a teacher was “self-isolated” at Bevendean Primary School — prompting parents to “shake with fear”.
Ms Gray, 40, said she rushed to collect her daughter after Cottesmore emailed parents informing them of the potential coronavirus link.
She told Sun Online: “The mum’s WhatsApp group went crazy and one of the mums said the pupil in question is in Year 6 so I was instantly worried it was my daughter’s buddy.
“I’m just glad parents were given the option to collect their children.
“The kids can have the rest of the week off and then it’s half term next week.
“The school said they’ve already done a deep clean and they’ll be doing another one tonight.”
Another mum said: “I received an email from the school saying we had an option to collect our children.
“I panicked a little bit because obviously it’s spreading around Brighton.
“I just did what every parent would do and came straight down to pick my children up.
“The school has said it is a safe environment but I just wanted to be sure and picked them up straight away.”
Everyone is panicking and going crazy
Fran Gray
Another distressed mum recalled how she picked up her five-year-old daughter instantly after receiving the email.
Not willing to take any risks, she added that her child will go back to school once they give her the all-clear.
She said: “I will be keeping my daughter at home until I receive 100 per cent confirmation it’s safe to do so.
“The school has taken the right precautions and there are hand sanitisers all around the building.
“But I still had to do the right thing and pick her up.”
Sarah Lewis, 48, whose six-year-old daughter goes to Cottesmore, added: “Apparently a lot of kids were taken out [by parents].
“They had a full assembly with hand washing and they all got a bottle of sanitiser and they were told to keep their hands washed.
“I’m aware of the risks – would it be mad to send her, would it be mad not to?”
Natalie Brown, whose children go to the school, said she was “shocked” to hear of the news.
She told BBC Radio 4: “Parents with children with heart conditions and asthma are obviously concerned as their children would be deemed as ‘high risk'”.
But Ms Brown also criticised the lack of information about coronavirus and called for better communication.
She added: “We received a letter today telling us that two people are in self-isolation for 14 days after coming into contact with the coronavirus.
“Last week, the children were all given anti-bacterial hand gel as a precaution, leading to questions about what was known then and what has since been communicated to us.”
Concerned parents at Bevendean Primary School also told their children had been given the option to stay home.
A mother with a six-year old son at the school said: “I’m still shaking.
“I was going to take my child to school, but then I got the email at 7.10 this morning — I’m just glad I checked.”
Dr Catriona Greenwood is thought to be one of the two medics infected — and may have passed the bug on to patients.
It comes after a second doctor’s surgery in the city — the Warmdene surgery — linked to the Brighton coronavirus super-spreader, closed yesterday morning.
Dr Greenwood works as a locum at the practise which has since been shut for decontamination as officials scramble to trace patients to be tested.
The surgery is part of the same practise as the County Oak Medical Centre, which was closed while staff in hazmat suits deep cleaned the surgery from top-to-bottom.
