One Year 5 class at Richard Avenue Primary School have been told to self-isolate following a positive Covid case

A Year Five class at Richard Avenue Primary School on Hurstwood Road on Wednesday, May 19, are now required to self-isolate following a coronavirus case at the school.

Together for Children, the organisation that supports schools in Sunderland, has confirmed that the school is working with Public Health and all those affected were contacted as soon as possible.

The organisation said that it can be difficult to establish which children have been in contact with the affected case in primary schools due to larger groups of children coming together throughout the school day.

A spokesperson for Together for Children commented: “If a child tests positive for coronavirus, Public Health advise that any pupils, teachers and school staff who’ve been deemed a close contact of that child isolate for 10 days.

“The closure of a bubble, class or full year group is not unusual and depends on how an individual school is managing the spaces available to them within school.

"In primary schools in particular, larger groups of children may come together in classes/work groups or at lunch and break times than you might see in a secondary school.

"Please bear in mind that decisions around who will need to isolate are guided by Public Health, and both the school and PH need time to work together to understand who might be at risk of infection.

“This must happen before anyone can be informed. I can assure you that those needing to isolate will have been informed in the most timely way possible."

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