School staff member tests positive for coronavirus 11 days after Boris visit

A member of staff at a school in Leicestershire has tested positive for coronavirus 11 days after Boris Johnson visited the site and chatted to students.

In a letter sent to parents last night, headteacher Michael Gamble, advised pupils of Castle Rock school, in Coalville, to stay at home and self-isolate if they had come into contact with the employee.

He continued: ‘We apologise for the lateness of this letter, however this evening we have been informed that one member of our staff at The Castle Rock School has been tested positive for Covid-19.

‘The health, safety and well-being of our students is paramount. Please be assured that we have sought immediate advice from Public Health England this evening, and we are continuing to closely follow the published government guidance.’

Six tutor groups and two PE classes were also told to remain home from Monday until the school confirms whether they need to keep self-isolating, the Daily Mail reported.

Johnson has already suffered Covid-19 himself, and was admitted to St Thomas Hospital, in London, for a week in April, where he was then transferred to the ICU. He has since made a full recovery.

The Prime Minister mingled with students and teachers at the school during his visit in August. He told them that the most concerning factor for young people was not Covid-19, but the prospect of being out of education for a continued period of time.

He then delivered a speech to students inside the school’s library, which sparked humorous discussions online as viewers noticed the books lining the shelves behind him contained titles including The Twits, Betrayed, and The Resistance.

It later emerged that a former librarian responsible for the books had intended the arrangement as a final blow towards the school management during her last week.

Schools across the UK have now reopened for the autumn term following months of lockdown restrictions. However, several schools in England and Wales have already reported coronavirus outbreaks.

In Suffolk, hundreds of students missed out on lessons when Samuel Ward Academy was closed after five teachers tested positive for Covid-19.

Around 200 students and 21 staff members in Liverpool were also told to self-isolate following a coronavirus outbreak across five schools in the area.

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