Confirmed case of COVID-19 at Churchill Academy

AN UPDATE

A student at Churchill Academy and Sixth Form in North Somerset has tested positive for COVID-19 and as a precautionary measure the 57 students who are members of the same teaching bubble have been asked to self-isolate at home for 14 days.

“We have been working closely with the school and Public Health England to ensure that effective infection control measures are in place and are confident that the school has acted promptly and efficiently to ensure no onward spread of infection. The identification of this case at the start of the new academic year should remind us all that the infection has not gone away over the summer.” – Matt Lenny, Director of Public Health for North Somerset

Deep cleaning has been undertaken at the school to ensure there is no risk of infection transfer on surfaces.

The Council has been keeping a close eye on the increase in COVID-19 case numbers in North Somerset over recent days.

Typically, the number of cases per day has risen from about 2 per day in July and most of August to a higher incidence of about 5-10 per day in the last 10 days.

This rise reflects a similar rise in the national and regional totals but our rate of cases per 100,000 has risen from around or below the regional average (9.7 per 100,000 on 7th September) to above the national average (16 per 100,000).

Our rate, as measured through the Public Health England (PHE) daily alert report, shows North Somerset at 20.5 cases per 100,000, now the highest rate in the South West. As a reference, it is worth noting that the government considers ordering returning travellers to quarantine from countries where the rate of infection exceeds 20 new cases per 100,000.

Our relatively low population base means our rate can rise rapidly based on a smaller number of cases but clearly the relative increase is still important and something we want to manage as proactively as possible.

As the number of cases in North Somerset, like other parts of the country, begins to rise we all need to do our bit to halt the spread of the virus.

While we are not seeing an immediate impact in serious health impacts (e.g. hospitalisations or deaths) this is increasingly likely if the virus is allowed to freely circulate.

We all have a duty to take responsibility for our own actions in minimising risk of spread and to always follow the national guidance around testing and self-isolation.

Everyone, regardless of their age or state of health, must continue to practice good hand hygiene, maintain social distancing of 2m wherever possible and self-isolate and book a test if they experience any of the symptoms of the virus.

To get the latest NHS information and advice about coronavirus (COVID-19), visit nhs.uk/coronavirus