Kettering school CLOSED after person tests positive for coronavirus

The school has shut for a deep clean
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A Kettering school has closed for the rest of the week after an individual tested positive for coronavirus.

Southfield School in Lewis Road confirmed they had been notified of the result by Public Health England in a letter sent to parents this evening (Wednesday).

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The letter said the infected person had presented symptoms last weekend and has not been in school this week having remained self-isolated. They suggested they were not infectious prior to this.

Southfield School in Kettering is closed.Southfield School in Kettering is closed.
Southfield School in Kettering is closed.

It is not known if the infected person is a pupil or member of staff and the school said they could not disclose further details because of patient confidentiality.

It said they had recently travelled overseas but not with the school - suggesting the infected person was not part of a school ski trip to northern Italy.

In the letter to parents, headteacher Steph Roberts said: "Public Health England's contact tracing team (who track the spread of the virus) have identified anyone who has been in close contact with the individual concerned, offering appropriate advice and support.

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"The individual has recently travelled overseas but not with the school.

"Although Public Health England have advised that it is not compulsory to carry out a deep clean in these circumstances, we have decided to take this precautionary measure.

"Our priority, as always, is the safety and wellbeing of our students, staff and the wider school community.

"We continue to be appreciative of your support."

The school is closed tomorrow and Friday for a deep clean but expects to be open on Monday (March 16).

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The letter from Southfield School added: "You will have received a letter today about our wider contingency plans regarding coronavirus and ongoing support of your child’s learning during a longer term closure than in this instance.

"These plans were in motion well before we were notified of this confirmed case. During this short closure, we encourage your child to access learning resources through the student portal on the school website, complete any outstanding work and review their prior learning.

"We would like to reiterate that good hygiene is the best prevention for the spread of viruses and there are some simple steps you can take to protect you and your family by washing your hands regularly and thoroughly and if you cough or sneeze, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue and bin it. If you or a member of your family have flu-like symptoms, please contact NHS 111 or find more advice online at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/."

It comes after a case was confirmed at a care home in nearby Desborough earlier.

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Official figures say there have been six confirmed cases in Northamptonshire and it's not known if the cases in Desborough or at Southfield are new cases or part of these six.

The number of cases confirmed in England was 386 as of 9am this morning with the deaths of six people who had underlying health conditions.

The virus was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization earlier with more than 125,000 confirmed cases and just over 4,500 deaths.

The whole of Italy is in lockdown with flights, sporting events and festivals around the world cancelled.

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Some UK shops have started rationing some household essentials and dried and tinned food because people are stockpiling. Northampton General Hospital even said they are facing a shortage of hand sanitiser because relatives of patients keep stealing them from the walls.