MORE than 4,000 pupils are self-isolating because of Covid-19, the council has confirmed.

As of Tuesday (July 13) 91 schools, colleges and nurseries have been impacted by 249 positive cases of the virus.

This means that 4,4046 pupils and 225 staff are self-isolating across the county. This comes as classroom bubbles are set to be scrapped from July 19, according to the Department for Education.

Director of public health, Kate Blackburn told journalists at the weekly local Covid-19 briefing that previously there were single cases in schools without onward transmission.

“We are seeing onward transmission this time in schools and businesses,” she said. “The Delta variant is more transmissible.

“Restrictions have relaxed that bit more outside of the school and work environment and it is a different picture this time and it is leading to high numbers of individuals either with the virus or self-isolating.”

It is up to the discretion of headteachers to continue the bubble system or not. Mrs Blackburn said that the public health team is hosting a headteacher briefing tomorrow (July 15) but are still awaiting detailed written guidance from the government.

“I think what we are clear about, is that from next Monday, the system is if someone tests positive within a school setting then NHS test and trace will follow that up,” she added.

“It’s not for the school to do anymore. It is up to the parent of the child to identify those close contacts.

“I think one of the things to remember is that just because restrictions are changing, it doesn’t mean we need to forget all the best practices which have helped reduce not just Covid but any infectious disease.

“This goes across all settings, businesses, schools and other organisations.”

In Wiltshire, in the last seven days, 885 new cases of the virus have been recorded compared with 719 in the previous week.

The current rate of cases per 100,000 in Wiltshire in the last seven days is 177 which continues to be below the national average of 318.9.

However, two weeks ago in Wiltshire, this figure was around 73 per 100,000 people.

Cases in all of the hospital trusts are also on the rise with all trusts recording high acute bed occupancy.

“We’re also seeing high levels of other respiratory diseases in children and young people and an increase in other infections we would usually associate with winter months,” Mrs Blackburn said.

“So this is adding to an already pressurised health system.”

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