455 Students Self Isolating at City School
Sixth form pupil has tested positive for coronavirus
Most of the sixth-form year group at Olchfa Comprehensive School have been told to self-isolate after a student tested positive for Covid-19.
Letters have been sent to affected parents at the school in Swansea to advise them of what they need to do. 455 students have been identified as close contacts of the individual and have been asked to self-isolate.
The rest of the school is continuing to operate normally, in line with Welsh Government guidance. The head teacher of the school has sent letters to the parents of other children in the school, advising them they can continue to attend school as usual.
In Wales it is believed that more than 50 schools have reported Covid-19 incidents to date which the Welsh Government has said is to be expected as schools across the country return to full-time education.
A Swansea Council spokesman said the council and the school are working closely with Public Health Wales and the NHS Wales Test Trace and Protect service to ensure that all the appropriate measures are in place to protect students, staff and the wider community.
He said: “All close contacts of the case have been identified and have received appropriate advice to self-isolate. Children who have not been identified as a close contact do not need to self-isolate and do not require testing for the virus.”
The letter to parents of children who are not close contacts of the child with a positive test also advises them to continue to keep an eye on their children as a precaution.
It says parents should be alert to any symptoms of Covid-19:
A new or continuous cough
A high temperature
A loss of or change to sense of smell or taste
If a child or another member of the family develops any of these symptoms, even if they are mild, parents should book a test for them by phoning 119 or going online here: https://www.nhs.uk/ask-for-a-coronavirus-test
In addition the child’s school should be informed and the child should self-isolate for 10 days and any other household members should self-isolate for 14 days, in line with government guidance.
To reduce the risk of COVID-19 spreading, there are things that everyone can do to help. These include:
washing hands with soap and water often – do this for at least 20 seconds
using hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available
washing hands as soon as they get home
covering their mouth and nose with a tissue or sleeve (not their hands) when they cough or sneeze
putting used tissues in the bin immediately and washing hands afterwards
Further information on symptoms and self-isolation can be found here https://gov.wales/symptoms-and-self-isolation-contact-tracing
Further formation on Test, Trace, Protect can be found here https://gov.wales/test-trace-protect-coronavirus
For general information on COVID-19 https://gov.wales/protect-yourself-others-coronavirus
The COVID-19 online symptom checker can tell you if you need medical help and advise you what to do https://gov.wales/check-if-you-need-coronavirus-medical-help