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Milestone Academy in New Ash Green tells primary school group to self-isolate after staff member tests positive for Covid-19

A special needs school has told certain primary age pupils and a member of staff to self-isolate after another confirmed coronavirus case.

Milestone Academy in New Ash Green informed parents and carers that a member of staff had developed symptoms on Friday evening after work had ended and had received a positive test result yesterday.

Milestone Academy has told a group of students and a member of staff to self-isolate following a positive Covid-19 test
Milestone Academy has told a group of students and a member of staff to self-isolate following a positive Covid-19 test

It happened on the last day of the school term and the affected person has now been told to self-isolate in line with the government guidelines.

A spokesman for the school said: "We can confirm that a member of staff at Milestone Academy has tested positive for Covid-19 and is now self-isolating in line with guidance we have received from Public Health England.

"Working closely with Public Health England we have undertaken a risk assessment of the situation and concluded that all other students in the phase should self-isolate for 14 days as a precaution and to reduce the risk of cross transmission into the community.

"All affected areas of the school will be deep cleaned over half term in line with the current guidance.

"Staff and parents have been informed of the case and we will continue to update them as the situation develops."

'All affected areas of the school will be deep cleaned over half term in line with the current guidance...'

As the academy is already closed for two weeks for half term the school says the period of self-isolation should not result in any child missing school.

The school forms part of the Leigh Academies Trust and caters for children aged between two and 19 with special educational needs.

It is believed the affected year group, in phase 1, is made up of children aged between three and eight-years-old.

As part of Covid-19 secure guidelines, students are allocated into "bubbles" designed to stop the transmission of the virus across the wider academy.

Parents are said to have each received a letter yesterday informing them whether their child was in the same bubble as the member of staff in question or not.

Students in the same "bubble" have all been told to self-isolate, while others who have also recently come into contact with the staff member, have also been advised to enter a two-week quarantine period, starting from their last point of contact.

Its the second confirmed Covid-19 case at the special needs school in two months. Stock picture
Its the second confirmed Covid-19 case at the special needs school in two months. Stock picture

The positive case means affected children should self-isolate at home until Friday October 30, or if they develop Covid-19 symptoms 10 days after symptoms appear.

It's the second time a confirmed coronavirus case has been recorded at the special needs school in Ash Road.

Last month pupils in years 7 to 11, were told to self-isolate after a member of staff tested positive for the virus.

It follows a string of confirmed cases by the Trust across its network of schools in Dartford with an admin worker from Longfield Academy the first to report a positive test.

Meanwhile, six staff members and pupils from a Year 10 bubble at Wilmington Academy on Common Lane were also sent home following a separate case.

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