Coronavirus cases confirmed at three schools in northeast

Middlesbrough added to government's Covid-19 watchlist as ‘area of concern’

Coronavirus cases have been confirmed at three schools in the northeast.

A positive case was recorded at St Benedict’s RC Primary School, Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council said on Sunday.

However, the local authority said the school, in Redcar, will remain open and that parents had been provided with advice.

St Aidan’s CE Primary School, in Hartlepool, said in a Facebook post that it also had a confirmed coronavirus case.

Outwood Academy Ormesby, Middlesbrough, also said a confirmed case had been found “within the school community”. These further two schools will also remain open. 

It comes as pupils returned to schools in England last week for the first time since lockdown in March.

In a statement to parents on Sunday, St Aidan's CE Primary School's headteacher, Lynn Chambers, said the "individual" who tested positive was sent home after they showed symptoms.

"Public Health England advised that as no child had been in close contact with the individual there was no need for any child to stay at home or self-isolate as a result," she said.

Outwood Academy Ormesby, in Netherfields, Middlesbrough, said the person who tested positive did not contract the virus at the secondary school.

In a Facebook post on Sunday, it said: "We have worked with experts from Public Health England to take all of the steps we need to and have already identified all those who need to stay at home and self-isolate.

"If we have not already spoken directly to you about this, then your child does not need to make any change to their usual routine, including attending school.

"To be clear, your child should attend school as normal unless you have already been contacted directly to advise that they should self isolate."

In Redcar and Cleveland, 38 new coronavirus cases were recorded in the seven days to 1 September - the equivalent of 27.7 per 100,000 people, up from 10.2 in the seven days to August 25.

The rate in Hartlepool also experienced a jump from 7.5 to 22.4, with 21 new cases, while Middlesbrough's rate has risen from 28.4 to 31.2, with 44 new cases.

Middlesbrough was added to the government's Covid-19 watchlist as an "area of concern" on Friday.

Additional reporting by PA Media