CORONAVIRUS cases linked to a shuttered Tayside school have risen again as the number of staff infected reaches 21.

Health and education bosses agreed the closure of the Kingspark School in Dundee last Wednesday after eight adults connected to the additional needs school were found to have Covid-19.

Two days after the deep clean order, all 185 pupils and every member of staff was told to self-isolate with their families.

That direction came on Friday as the number of linked cases rose to 12.

Now NHS Tayside has revealed the cluster is growing.

Late on Sunday, it said 17 members of staff have tested positive for the virus, along with two pupils and three community contacts.

This evening that number has risen again to 21 staff, two pupils and four community contacts.

Kingspark caters for children aged five-18 with a range of additional needs, including physical disabilities and medical conditions. Many require close contact with staff during the school day.

Detailed contact tracing of all positive cases is ongoing and has revealed links to two other Dundee school sites. Further urgent guidance has been issued to these as a precautions. 

Parents of all pupils in the P2A class at St Peter and Paul's School have been advised to isolate their children for 14 days until September 2 after a single positive case was linked to that group.

All staff and children who have attended the Happy Times out-of-school club at Downfield Primary are also self-isolating until September 2 after contact tracers established another link to this operation.

NHS Tayside said: “Please be reassured that if you have not been contacted individually, your child has not been identified as a contact of the case, and they can continue to attend school and undertake other activities as normal.”

Dr Daniel Chandler, who works with the health board, commented: “Due to the high level of tests undertaken among staff who work at the school, we may see a small rise in the number of positive cases as these results come through.

“The actions and measures that have been put in place will help to prevent any further spread of infection and we hope to see the numbers of positive cases to tail off over the coming days.”

Paul Clancy, executive director of Children and Families Services at Dundee City Council, added: “I would like to reassure families that this action is being taken to keep everyone safe. This is our paramount concern and we cannot be complacent.” 

Further information for parents and staff is available at www.taysidecares.co.uk. 

Broader public health information about coronavirus can be found at www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/infections-and-poisoning/coronavirus-covid-19 or www.gov.scot/coronavirus-covid-19.