FOURTEEN schools in the UK have closed over coronavirus and with the first confirmed case in Wales it is only a matter of time before the illness comes to Scotland. 

Around a dozen schools have sent staff and pupils home to self-isolate for 14 days after returning from half-term trips in northern Italy, where 323 people have tested positive for the virus and 11 have died.

WHICH SCHOOLS HAVE CLOSED?

FOURTEEN schools in the UK have now closed, while more than 20 others have sent pupils home for fear they may have been exposed to coronavirus during ski trips to northern Italy.

The schools that are currently closed are:

  • Lutton St Nicholas primary school, Lincolnshire
  • Gedney Church End primary school, Spalding
  • Shepeau Stow Primary School, Spalding
  • St Christopher's C of E high school, Accrington
  • Trinity Catholic College, Middlesbrough
  • Cransley School in Northwich, Cheshire
  • The Brine Leas Academy sixth form, Cheshire
  • William Martin Junior and Infant School, Essex
  • Tudor Grange Academy Kingshurst, Birmingham
  • The ContinU Plus Academy, Kidderminster
  • Lime Academy Watergall in Bretton, Peterborough
  • St Peter's Church of England Middle School, Old Windsor
  • Archbishop Temple School, Preston
  • Burford School, Oxfordshire

WHAT'S THE LATEST TRAVEL ADVICE?

THE UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) recently updated its travel advice, urging against all but essential travel to 10 small towns in Lombardy.

These include Codogno, Castiglione d’Adda, Casalpusterlengo, Fombio, Maleo, Somaglia, Bertonico, Terranova dei Passerini, Castelgerundo and San Fiorano, along with one in Veneto (Vo’ Euganeo).

These areas have been isolated by the Italian authorities due to an ongoing outbreak of coronavirus.

The Department for Education along with PHE has issued updated advice for schools and colleges in England, following a number of schools sending staff and students home to self-isolate after returning from northern Italy.

WHAT SHOULD CONCERNED PARENTS DO?
THE advice states that students returning from the region who are not experiencing any symptoms should continue to attend school as normal.

If children are currently well:

  • they are advised to self-isolate only if they develop symptoms
  • they can continue to attend work or education
  • they do not need to avoid contact with other people
  • their family do not need to take any precautions or make any changes to their own activities
  • testing people with no symptoms for COVID-19 is currently not recommended
  • it is useful to always take a mobile phone with them when they go out so that they can contact others if they do become unwell

In the UK, 7132 people have been tested for coronavirus with 13 testing positive.

Eight of those who tested positive have now been discharged from hospital.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS TO LOOK FOR?

CORONAVIRUSES are a large family of viruses, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explaining they usually cause “mild to moderate upper-respiratory tract illnesses”, like the common cold.

Most people get infected with these viruses at some point during their lives, although they usually only last for a short period of time.
Symptoms of the virus may include:

  • runny nose
  • headache
  • cough
  • sore throat
  • fever
  • a general feeling of being unwell

Human coronaviruses can sometimes cause lower-respiratory tract illnesses, such as pneumonia and bronchitis, or more severe diseases such as SARS. However, this is more common in people with cardiopulmonary disease, people with weakened immune systems, infants and older adults.