Hartlepool school staff member tests negative for coronavirus after school skiing trip to Italy

A member of staff who was on the schools' trip to Austria and Italy has tested negative for coronavirus.

The test was carried out after two schools, Dyke House Academy and Manor Community Academy, went on a skiing trip to Austria and Italy. It is not known which school the staff member works for.

Around 50 students, aged 12 to 16, and 11 staff from the schools went on the trip to Hermagor in southern Austria, for the trip over the February half term holiday.

The party made the short journey over the border to the town of Tarvisio in Friuli Venezia Giulia, a region in north-east Italy, close to the border with both Austria and Slovenia. They had a meal in Tarvisio.

Manor Community Academy and Dyke House Academy were the two Hartlepool schools on a trip to Italy, after which one staff member was tested for coronavirus. The test was negative

Both Dyke House and Manor Community are part of the Northern Education Trust.

A trust spokesperson said: “We are pleased to say that the member of staff who was tested for coronavirus has returned a negative result.

“We are continuing to monitor and follow the Public Health advice to ensure the wellbeing of all our students and staff.”

The trust said on Wednesday, before the staff member’s test results were known: “The academy has consulted Public Health England about what to do and fully understands the concerns that parents and carers may have.

“Public Health England has confirmed that the academy is following the correct procedures, in line with their guidance. Anyone with concerns should contact NHS 111 for further advice.”

A total of 528 coronavirus cases have now been confirmed in Italy. The worst affected region is Lombardy in the north of the country, where the largest city is Milan. The outbreak has killed 14 people in the country so far.

The cases have occurred in eight Italian regions. However, Friuli Venezia Giulia is not one of them.

There have been 82,000 cases globally in 40 countries, with more than 78,000 of them occurring in China. A total of 15 cases have been confirmed in the UK.

On February 25, Trinity Catholic College in Middlesbrough announced that, on government health advice, it would be closed for a deep clean after staff and pupils returned from skiing trips to coronavirus-hit Verona, also in northern Italy.