Senior pupils within Covid hotspot urged to stay at home

Senior pupils at three Glasgow schools have been advised to study at home ahead of their assessments while the city battles rising coronavirus rates.

Headteachers at Shawlands Academy, Holyrood Secondary and Bellahouston Academy have written to parents and guardians of students in S4-S6.

The pupils are being urged to learn from home if they can and only attend when they have assessments or when they need to complete coursework in the building.

It is hoped the move will reduce the number of people in the schools while there’s an increase in community cases, which may help to lower the risk of pupils becoming infected or being identified as close contacts.

A Glasgow City Council spokeswoman said: “Senior phase pupils in the three schools have been offered study leave ahead of their assessments over the next couple of weeks and are still free to come into school to see teachers and to study, but this will also help reduce numbers in the school while there’s an increase in community cases and reduce the risk of pupils being identified as close contacts.

“Other schools in the city have senior pupils off on study leave at the moment as would have been the norm pre-pandemic.”

Glasgow currently has the highest rate of coronavirus in Scotland at 109.9 cases per 100,000 people in the seven days to May 16.

The southside, where the three schools are located, is the worst affected area.

While the majority of mainland Scotland moved to level two of the Scottish Government’s five-tier Covid-alert system on Monday, Glasgow and Moray were kept in level three.

Rising Covid rates in East Renfrewshire are also causing concern, with the region recording 101.5 cases per 100,000 people in the seven days to May 16.

Glasgow Central Mosque is currently operating 12 hours a day as a vaccination centre to inoculate younger adults in the city’s Covid hotspots.

Covid-19 vaccinations are also being offered to those aged 18-39 in Moray as NHS Grampian combats an outbreak of the virus in the area.

The Scottish Government is expected to review the level of restrictions in these areas on Friday.