Coronavirus: staff member at Doncaster school tests positive

A Doncaster school has insisted its pupils are safe after it emerged a staff member tested positive for coronavirus.
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Heatherwood School for children with severe learning difficulties and “profound and complex physical and/or medical” needs confirmed today (25 March) a member of school staff in the post-16 department tested positive last weekend.

Despite all schools being forced to close last week, the close was still open as a ‘childcare provider’ until today. One parent claimed they and some other parents had not been informed of the positive test, which caused ‘shock and anxiety’ for him and others when they found out via a third party.

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The school said they have no reasons to believe it is unsafe for pupils or staff after taking advice from Public Health England. The staff member in question had been self-isolating for more than a week after showing symptoms of Covid-19.

Heatherwood School in Doncaster.Heatherwood School in Doncaster.
Heatherwood School in Doncaster.

A statement from Heatherwood said: “The member of staff has been absent from school for over a week, and following information from Public Health England’s Health Protection Team we understand school does not pose a threat to staff or students coming back into school this week.

Parents of pupils in Post 16 were duly informed. Similarly, all staff and parents of those pupils due to attend school this week were informed (irrespective of class) and given the option to refrain from coming in to school should they so choose.”

As of 9am on Tuesday, 8,077 people had tested positive for coronavirus in the UK, with 422 deaths.