Widespread community COVID-19 transmission impacting on schools in Orkney

The ongoing community-wide transmission of COVID-19 in Orkney is having an impact – as would be expected – on a number of schools across the county.

There are small numbers of positive cases being reported in several schools now in addition to Papdale Primary and Nursery, and these are all being closely monitored.

Communication has been sent to all parents and carers of pupils at Kirkwall Grammar School as a precautionary measure today, Thursday with the school reporting that there have been 11 positive cases among pupils at the school out of a school roll of just under 850.

Head Teacher Claire Meakin has written to all parents thanking them for the help and support given during these unprecedented times. In particular, she praised pupils who have responded very positively to requests to follow simple steps to keep everyone as safe as possible whilst in school.  These include:

• Wearing a face covering in lessons and when moving around in communal areas.
• Washing or sanitising their hands when they enter or leave the building, or change rooms.
• Wearing a school hoodie, or having a base layer under their t-shirt (if that’s what they prefer to wear), to ensure they aren’t cold during lessons whilst windows are open.

NHS Orkney’s Consultant in Public Health, Sara Lewis, and the Council’s Executive Director of Education, Leisure and Housing, James Wylie, stressed the need for the community to rally and step up all measures to keep everyone safe.

The best way to avoid becoming a contact is remaining 2 metres away from those outwith your household. Face mask wearing and regular hand washing must continue and be forefront of folk’s minds. If you are meeting up indoors with anyone outwith your household, please ensure good ventilation is in place at all times by opening windows and doors.

As a reminder, lateral flow tests are encouraged for all those aged 12 and over who are not showing any signs of COVID twice-weekly. If you have a positive lateral flow, you and your household must isolate immediately, and you must book a PCR test. We would also encourage everyone to log their test results online, whether positive or negative, again this helps paint of picture of the situation.

If you have symptoms of COVID i.e., a new or continuous cough, a high temperature or loss of taste or smell, you and your household must isolate immediately, and you must book a PCR test. If you have any symptoms at all, no matter how minor please do not undertake a lateral flow test but instead isolate and book a PCR test.

At Thursday’s daily inter-disciplinary team meeting made up of NHS Orkney Public Health, the Council’s Environmental Health, Safety and Resilience and schools, an update was provided on the situation at Papdale Primary and Nursery.

At Papdale Primary School there have been a further 3 positive cases among pupils, bringing the total to 54 and there remains 8 staff who have tested positive for COVID. Just under 200 children are present in school today and 116 who are required to remain at home are receiving online learning. 138 pupils are absent today.

It is planned that Papdale Primary will be reopening in full on Monday 15 November to all classes.

The reopening of Papdale Nursery remains under review due to staffing issues and we hope to update tomorrow, Friday.

Mr Wylie said: “We are delighted that Papdale Primary School is now seeing a downward trend in the number of cases from its peak and contingency planning means that we are in a position as it stands to be able to reopen all classes again on Monday. We will provide an update on Papdale Nursery tomorrow, Friday, once we are in a position to confirm staffing availability for Monday of next week.

“We continue to meet daily and monitor the situation in all schools around Orkney. Please do all you can to adhere to the measures in place to keep everyone as safe as possible so we can all enjoy a reduction in the spread of this virus which is impacting on all walks of life.”

Ceri Dare, OIC Environmental Technical Officer (Public Health), is available for free advice and support around COVID-secure requirements and best practice in businesses and organisations. She can be contacted at Environmental Health, Orkney Islands Council, School Place, Kirkwall, KW15 1NY Phone 01856 873535 ext 2817 or by email to Ceri Dare