North Warwickshire families urged to get twice weekly tests after Covid outbreak in Polesworth

Families of school-aged children in Atherstone are being urged to get tests for Covid-19 as cases have risen steeply in and around the area in the last week.

The plea comes after Polesworth School has had to reduce attendance to only vulnerable and key workers' children and has activated its remote learning contingency plan for all other students after a series of positive cases were identified among pupils across several year groups.

This will remain the case until Monday 29 March.

Cases have been rising in the area over the last week, with neighbouring towns also seeing rises in rates of transmission.

Public Health officers are urging local communities to get regularly tested and help to avoid transmission by identifying cases with no symptoms.

People can book a community test online here.

Test kits for school age children and their household can be ordered online on the Government's website or collected during the afternoon from Water Orton Community Hall.

As well as testing, Warwickshire's Director of Public Health Dr Shade Agboola has urged local communities to continue to be vigilant and follow government guidance, particularly around social distancing.

She said: "With rates rising in the North Warwickshire area, it is vital that the community does all it can to stop the spread.

"Testing is critical and if we are to bring the rates of positive cases down, we need people to book tests and check themselves twice a week in case they are unknowingly carrying, and potentially spreading, the virus.

"As well as testing, the messages around social distancing remain as critical as ever. The roadmap towards easing restrictions can only be successful if rates are kept down.

"That needs everyone to continue to follow the guidance, avoid mixing with other households and keep a safe social distance alongside measures such as wearing face coverings and hand washing."

Steve Maxey, Chief Executive of North Warwickshire Borough Council added: "The outbreak in Polesworth has shown the value of regular testing as the majority of these cases involve people without any symptoms.

"Without the great work of the school, its staff and pupils in getting tested we are unlikely to have identified these cases at this point.

"Despite cases having fallen significantly across the country and North Warwickshire there is still a need to be vigilant. We are therefore asking everyone with school age children to get a test at least twice a week.

"We need to protect our schools from transmission of cases from their local community and to ensure that we keep everyone as safe as possible as we open up venues in accordance with the Government's roadmap."