50 Hull teachers and other school staff were off due to coronavirus in just one day this month

Hull City Council data showed the absences were all recorded on Thursday, October 14

Author: Joseph Gerrard, Local Democracy Reporting ServicePublished 22nd Oct 2021

A total of 50 Hull teachers and other school staff were off due to coronavirus in one day this month, council figures show.

Hull City Council data showed the absences were all recorded on Thursday, October 14.

East Riding Council declined to say how many staff were absent due to coronavirus.

Hull’s absences cover those who have caught coronavirus as well as those with symptoms who are awaiting test results.

It comes as council figures also showed 883 pupils were off as of this Tuesday, October 19 due to coronavirus.

Most were thought to be waiting for test results to come back and were isolating because they had symptoms.

The East Riding total was 77 for the same day, with data also showing 7.33 per cent of its pupils had caught coronavirus since the start of the academic year.

A total of 156 East Riding schools have been affected by staff and pupil absences since schools returned from summer holidays in September.

The figures also follow comments from East Riding Council’s Public Health Director Andy Kingdom who told LDRS he hoped October half term would act as a “firebreak” to curb rising infections.

The director added about 80 per cent of East Riding schools had been affected by outbreaks, with pupils mixing at school thought to be driving infections in communities.

Mr Kingdom said council public health teams were working with schools to manage restrictions.

Headteachers are currently tasked with monitoring case trends to decide whether to strengthen or loosen restrictions including mask wearing and social distancing.

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