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Longfield Academy confirms staff coronavirus case as potential contacts told to self-isolate

A school near Dartford has confirmed a member of staff has tested positive for coronavirus.

Longfield Academy identified a woman working within its admin team had contracted the virus last week.

Longfield Academy has alerted parents and pupils to a coronavirus case at the school
Longfield Academy has alerted parents and pupils to a coronavirus case at the school

In a letter sent to parents and carers the school said at the time it had not been confirmed via testing but it was treating it as such "due to the circumstances involved".

The case has since been confirmed by principal Alex O'Donnell who said: "In line with the guidance from Public Health England, the member of staff who tested positive has now been in isolation for ten days and will return at the end of her 14 day isolation.

"All other potential contacts have also been isolated for a 14 day period."

It is not believed that the member of staff has had any close or direct contact with any students and so pupils are not being asked to self-isolate at this time and the school remains open.

Public Health England has advised that the school can remain open as normal in line with Covid-19 secure guidelines.

Public Health England were alerted to the case
Public Health England were alerted to the case

If a school develops multiple cases where cross transmission is a factor, the organisation will then advise whether a partial or full school closure is needed.

As part of its Covid-19 secure procedures the academy has put in place additional cleaning routines throughout the day to ensure that high contact areas are regularly cleaned.

It means each evening the academy is being cleaned more deeply than usual to prevent the virus remaining present on surfaces.

Additional measures are being taken by schools to curb the potential spread of the disease such as extra hand sanitizer stations on entry and throughout the school.

Students are allocated into "bubbles" designed to stop the transmission of Covid-19 across the wider academy.

Classrooms have also been rearranged to avoid pupils sitting directly face to face and being in close contact with each other.

All staff and pupils have been told to continue to monitor for any new Covid-19 like symptoms they may develop and the school said it would contact parents should anything change.

Read more: All the latest news from Dartford

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