Coronavirus in Scotland: Around 100 children and staff self-isolating in Lothians as pupils test positive for Covid-19

Around 100 children and staff across the Lothians are self-isolating after a number of pupils in the region recently tested positive for the virus.

NHS Lothian says a total of 88 pupils and eight staff members who were in close and sustained contact with infected pupils have been told to self-isolate for 14 days as a precautionary measure.

The health board said their health protection team has worked with single cases in six schools across four separate council areas to contact trace and assess safety measures in place, such as cleaning and social distancing.

Those schools affected are Granton Primary, Dalry Nursery and Primary, Lasswade High, Balbardie Primary, Preston Tower and Dalkeith High.

Granton Primary School and Balbardie Primary School in Bathgate are among the schools to have confirmed Covid-19 cases. Pic: Lisa Ferguson

NHS Lothian said that, at this time, there is no evidence of transmission within the schools themselves.

All of the schools in Edinburgh, Midlothian, West Lothian and East Lothian, remain open following the individual cases and parents have been told that their child should still attend, unless instructed otherwise.

Professor Alison McCallum, director of Public Health and Health Policy, said: “We have been made aware of a number of pupils who have tested positive for COVID-19 over the course of this week.

“We know this is a worrying time for them and their families, but indeed also for other people in the local school community.

“Our teams are working with schools to ensure that all of the necessary infection control measures are in place to protect other young people and their families. All of the schools remain open and parents should continue to send their children to school.”

Advice

When a person with a positive test is identified in Lothian, they will be contacted to provide a detailed list of all of their contacts in recent days. Those people will then be contacted and risk assessed.

They may then be asked to self isolate or be told to be aware and vigilant of the most common symptoms of Covid-19, such as high fever, loss of sense of smell or taste and new and persistent cough.

In the case of a school, parents in Lothian will receive a text message asking them to click through to a secure link on their school's website or an email providing information, depending on the method most commonly used in that school.

The messages will usually explain that someone in their school has tested positive and that robust contact tracing by trained health professionals is underway. If they are not contacted they should continue to send their child to school the following day.

If the process of contact tracing is likely to take some time and where possible, a second text message or email may be sent when the contact tracing process is complete to reassure parents, who may be worried that they may yet be called.

Letters containing important health advice and guidance will then be issued urging people to be aware of symptoms and continue vital infection control measures, such as handwashing and wearing a face covering.

For more information please visit the NHS Inform website or for non-clinical advice call the helpline 0800 028 2816.

Only people who are symptomatic need a test unless they are explicitly asked to get a test by public health as part of the management of an outbreak.

The symptoms are the onset of a persistent cough, or a temperature/fever or a loss of taste or smell. Only one of these is required for a test to be arranged. This can be done by visiting the NHS Inform website – www.nhsinform.scot. You do not need to call NHS 24 to organise a test.

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