Derbyshire primary school closed for deep clean after confirmed case of coronavirus

Parents and carers with children at Burbage Primary School, Buxton, were informed yesterday that the school is to be closed today for a ‘deep clean to be completed’.

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In a message sent via the school’s ‘parent hub’ app, parents and carers were informed that there was ‘a confirmed case of coronavirus’ among the ‘parent population’.

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The message read: “Due to a confirmed case of coronavirus amongst our parent population, Burbage Primary School will be closed as a precautionary measure to enable a deep clean to be completed.

“A further update will be provided.”

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Public Health England has issued advice to schools in the wake of a number across the country telling pupils to self-isolate on their return from school trips to countries affected by coronavirus.

Hall Cross Academy in Doncaster has told pupils who have recently returned from a skiing trip to northern Italy to isolate themselves for 14 days as a precaution.

Bradfield School in Sheffield told pupils to carry on as normal as their trip did not go near the quarantined part of Italy.

Public Health England has confirmed it is not advising that schools shut in an attempt to stem the spread of coronavirus.

The organisation's medical director Paul Cosford said: "Schools have to take difficult decisions given the complexity of issues that they are facing.

"What I would say is that our general advice is not to close schools.

"What we are clear about is if you have been in the area of northern Italy of concern and you have symptoms - it is a cough, shortness of breath or fever - then you do need to self-isolate, you need to phone NHS 111 and await advice for further assessment or testing.

Two patients with coronavirus are currently being treated at the Specialist Infectious Diseases Unit at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield.

They were flown to the unit after they contracted the virus while on board the Diamond Princess cruise liner in Japan.