Staff member at Hartlepool's Ward Jackson Primary School tests positive for coronavirus as two others self-isolate

Ward Jackson C of E Primary School, Hartlepool.

Hartlepool Borough Council say the staff member has not had any contact with pupils for three weeks and the school ‘acted very swiftly to seek expert advice and has been extremely rigorous in the precautions’.

It comes on the day NHS England announced that another patient has died and two more coronavirus cases have been diagnosed in the town.

Hospital trust staff have also appealed for people to help combat a spike in Hartlepool's Covid-19 cases in the last week in a bid to bring the numbers back down.

David Akers, Headteacher of Ward Jackson Primary School, said: “A member of our teaching staff yesterday (Thursday 4th June) tested positive for COVID-19. That member of staff has not been in contact with any pupils for the past three weeks, having been away from school on leave for the two previous weeks and having only been in school this week on Tuesday for a staff training day. The member of staff is now self-isolating at home for 14 days.

“Although the staff training day was held under social distancing conditions, as an additional precaution, two members of staff who were within the closest distance of the affected member of staff on the day have stayed away from school today and are self-isolating at home for 14 days.

“The wellbeing of all our pupils and staff is of the utmost importance to us. We have taken advice from Public Health England and the Hartlepool Public Health team and will continue to liaise closely with them as a precaution.

“The school will be open for pupils of key workers next week. However, because we will have a reduced number of staff available next week, we have decided to defer the start of our wider phased reopening – which was due to begin this coming Monday with Year 6 - by a week, and we have written to all parents to advise them of the situation.”

Dr Pat Riordan, Director of Public Health for Hartlepool, added: “The school acted very swiftly to seek expert advice and has been extremely rigorous in the precautions it is taking. We will continue to work with the school to monitor the situation over the coming days.”

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